


A New World

by Zeelian



Series: The Eternal Universe - Birth of a Dragon [16]
Category: Fantasy - Fandom, Original Work, Science Fiction - Fandom
Genre: A+ Parenting, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Artificial Intelligence, Asexuality, Child Assassin, Custody Battle, Demon Medicine, Emancipation of Minors, Forced Seclusion, Gold Digger, Honeytrap, Infidelity, Insomnia, Multi, Partner Betrayal, Past Child Abuse, Post-War, Self-Esteem Building, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Initiation Rites, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-19 07:05:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 82,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19351930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeelian/pseuds/Zeelian
Summary: With the Dark War and the signing of the treaties behind them it was time to start building a new world, and a new home.The girls were eager to become part of society and Takeshi would do what he could to give them what they wanted, but within certain limits, he would not allow his pack and house to be divided.But first he needed to make plans for the new Hawaii, and that meant calling Ethan, and dealing with his wife, Susan who was unable to handle the uniqueness of Takeshi's chosen family.





	1. Circle of Life

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Circle of Life_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


With their work done for the moment they were getting ready to leave Zürich but Takeshi wanted to have one last word with Sonya before they left so he invited her and her unit to celebrate their success.  
After several hours of food, drinks and all sorts of shenanigans Takeshi approached Sonya intent on getting some private time with her.  


“Red, could I have a word with you in private?”  
Part of the reason for asking her was that he had still not seen her face, the others had all removed their masks during their little party but she insisted on keeping hers on and he was curious as to why as she clearly trusted him.  
The fact that she didn't hesitate to accept the request further proved that fact.  
“Red, if you don't mind me asking, would you tell me why you refuse to remove your mask? I would very much like to see your face before we leave, please.”  
For a long time she was just facing him, but based on the way she was breathing Takeshi was pretty sure her eyes were closed under the mask, then she took a deep breath and gave him a short nod before reaching up to remove the mask.  
When she lowered the mask it revealed that the red flame design held a deeper meaning as the right half of her face was covered in a red burn scar and her rapid, shallow breathing revealed her anxiety about his reaction to seeing her face.  
“Beautiful.”  
His words were barely more than a murmur as he brushed his hand against the side of her face but the words still startled her slightly and when Angel had translated them she opened her eyes and looked at him in disbelief.  
“Ask any demon and they will tell you that scars are not something to be ashamed of, or to hide. Scars are proof of your ability and will to survive, proof that you possess the power to keep going despite an injury that would have destroyed a lesser female.”  
She nodded silently at his words, though her aura revealed that she was still somewhat hesitant to accept that he truly found her to be beautiful.  


“May I kiss you?”  
Once again her eyes widened in surprise before she nodded and closed her eyes, anticipating that he would ask her to do so since he would have to reveal his true face to be able to kiss her.  
“It's okay, you can open your eyes if you want to. I don't mind if you find out who I truly am.”  
She took a deep breath and shook her head.  
“I don't need to look at you, Takeshi Kiryu.”  
Now it was Takeshi's turn to pause, but he found that he wasn't really surprised that she knew who he was, instead he was very curious about what had given him away.  
“Indeed you don't”  
He didn't bother speaking Urui anymore instead he leaned in and claimed the promised kiss.  
“You don't seem surprised.”  
“Well, I'm not oddly enough. I am however very curious as to when and how you figured it out.”  
While he spoke Sonya rested her head against his chest and he began to slowly return to his human form so that she would be more comfortable.  
“I think a part of me knew all along.”  
Takeshi didn't answer her, instead he waited to see if she would elaborate.  


“You have this intense presence when you speak.”  
It took a while before she spoke again, but it seemed she had decided to tell him at least, she only needed to gather her thoughts and find her words.  
“I was at the White House you know, when you received your medal. My entire group was there as a field trip.”  
She continued to tell him about how she had been orphaned at age 5 and became a ward of the state, but do to her disfiguring facial scar, as well a deep emotional scars no family wanted to take her in.  
When she was old enough the orphanage enrolled her at a military boarding school, finally in a place where her scars didn't matter she put everything she had into the studies and exercises and quickly became one of the top students, which earned her a spot in the group that were invited to the White House to witness the award ceremony.  
“After finding out the truth about you you became a role model of sorts for me, you came to represent everything I wanted to become.”  
There was another long silence and Takeshi was just about to speak up when she beat him to it.  
“It was seeing you with the twins that made me finally accept that it really was you, and your mate, Rai, he's Dan, isn't he?”  
“He is.”  
Takeshi confirmed her words before going silent again, waiting to see if she would speak up again, and after a few moments he felt a sharp shift in her aura as old pains surfaced.  
“My mother was killed in a carjacking when I was 2, I almost died as well when they tore out the car seat with me in it and just tossed it at the side of the road but she managed to get her phone out and call 911 before passing out. When the ambulance finally arrived it was too late for her, but they managed to save me.”  


Telling him about how her mother had died opened a floodgate and she began telling him everything she knew, she had no memories of her own of the incident with her mother but there were a few articles about the incident.  
The carjackers had robbed a bank and killed 8 police officers so there was quite a lot of media buzz about it, her mother's fate pulled along with it.  
She was too young to remember much of what had happened after as well, but her father's online diary had told her of how he had struggled with the loss of his wife, with taking care of her and keeping the house that was her mother's inheritance.  
“Then one night, a group of men broke into our house, they tortured Dad to get him to open the safe, then they raped me, set the house on fire and left us for dead. I don't remember what happened beyond that, I have no idea how I survived, but the firefighters found me in the pool. I was severely burned and was bleeding badly, but somehow I was still alive.”  
She didn't remember much of the first few months after the incident, but she had read her medical file and her file at the orphanage, she had been hanging on to life by a thread for months, but she pulled through and began to recover.  
She talked about her time at the orphanage and the constant disappointments as no family wanted her due to her scars and past and she spoke of the joy she felt when she moved to the boarding school.  
She spoke of her studies and the first time she heard about Takeshi and his unit, they had been presented as a cautionary tale, twisted information saying that they had gone rogue and that the GCTI had been forced to eliminate them.  
“I never really believed the stories though. And it turns out that what I believed was pretty close to the truth.”  
As she spoke Takeshi could feel her face heating up with a blush and it made him curious about what she would say next.  
“You were my first so called love you know, a crazy mix of hero worship and celebrity crush.”  
“Oh, and have I lived up to your imagination, or do you find yourself disappointed?”  
The teasing question had her spluttering for a moment, but the solemn note of her aura vanished.  
“I.. You... Well...”  
“Yes?”  
“I guess you are doing okay so far, but I can't really tell yet...”  
“Let me guess, I would have to prove myself in bed first?”  
“Ugh, you're horrible!”  
With the tension broken their conversation turned toward more pleasant subjects and before long they rejoined the others, but Takeshi did return to his dragon form, he would not reveal himself to the rest of them just yet.  


When they returned to the room Ylian instantly got up and walked over to Sonya which caused her to hesitate a bit and when they brushed their hand against her scarred face she froze.  
“You wear the proof of your strength well.”  
She instantly blushed crimson before thanking Ylian.  
“I told you, didn't I?”  
Takeshi's teasing quip earned him a somewhat annoyed huff as she walked over to her unit and joined them around the low table.  


“Red, everyone. I would like to make you an offer. Come work for me. Become a special ops team for the new Sovereign Nation of Hawaii.”  
“No offense, but we like being under our own command.”  
“Understandable, Screech, but please, allow me to finish before you make up your mind.”  
Screech huffed and the others teased him, but they all settled down to listen to Takeshi's offer.  
“Your primary job would be to teach the demons about human military practices, but you would also be sent out to retrieve some of the individuals seeking refuge in Hawaii. For these services you would given a standard pay, housing and food along with whatever gear you require. On top of this you will be free to accept any mercenary jobs you see fit as long as they don't interfere with your regular duties.”  
“Well, that does sound like a decent gig. Anything else?”  
“You would have free access to my information network, and with it the freedom to create your own missions, with fair compensation.”  
After a few minutes of internal deliberations they turned back to him.  
“When do we start?”  
“There are a few things I need to take care of first. Take this, and give me a call a month from now and I will pick you up.”  
Takeshi tossed one of his modified satellite phones on the table and Sonnet quickly grabbed it and added it to his com-gear before the group thanked Takeshi and left the ready room to head out to collect the rest of their pay and get themselves some R&R.  


“Well, we are all done here. Let's head back to the Shamarai estate.”  
The others nodded and less than an hour later they stepped through the mist-portal at the estate for a quick stop before returning to the island.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Circle of Life_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


The moment Takeshi stepped through the small mist-fountain back at their island he was greeted by a face full of feathers as Hugin had left the nest in Dan's care for a brief moment to be able to greet their returning alpha.  
“Hello love. Feeling better?”  
The teasing question was met by some rather energetic caws and chirps, but the angel didn't return to his normal form, instead he stayed in the raven form and started to head back towards the nest, eagerly calling for Takeshi to follow him.  
“Hai hai I'm coming, easy love.”  
When they entered the hidden section of the garden Dan looked up from the nest and smiled at Hugin.  
“You see? I told you he would make it back in time.”  
When Dan moved aside it became obvious what had Hugin so excited, there were several fine cracks in the surface of the egg, and Takeshi could hear soft chirps from the egg.  
When the egg suddenly began rocking Dan quickly placed his hands on each side to make sure it stayed put and didn't get turned over so that the chick would end up on it's back, or upside down.  
Moments later Hugin was back in the nest, carefully nudging the egg into the perfect position before using his body to Keep it in place.  
“Oh, I see. Congratulations Hugin, you have done really well.”  
Takeshi leaned in and gave Hugin a quick kiss on the beak before turning to Dan and stealing his breath away.  
“And you my little beta have done a great job keeping our adorable raven nice and healthy.”  
In the end Dan had been spending most of his time on the island with Hugin despite their plans, only leaving for the Shamarai Estate when Emelie was needed to help Hugin manipulate the crystals of the nest.  
After carefully probing the egg with his aura Takeshi left Hugin to watch over it with a promise he would be back as soon as he had said hello to the rest of the household.  
With a quick glance he confirmed that Marakell had successfully helped Miri back into the garden pond and was currently serving her a plate of sashimi under Emelie's watchful eye.  


“Okay girls, that's quite enough. Settle down so Jenna has a chance to say hello too.”  
Jenna was playing it safe and stayed out of the fray, and the inevitable dog-pile as everyone wanted to greet Takeshi at the same time as they had returned from the demon realm the previous day.  
“Come here love.”  
He beckoned Jenna closer and gave her a gentle kiss while allowing his aura to gently brush over her belly and the tiny life within.  
“How have you been feeling?”  
“Hungry, regular food doesn't seem to cut it anymore.”  
“Well, we suspected that might become the case. I'll make sure to have plenty of demon realm food brought, and you should talk to the Mother as well, maybe she can create some supplements for you.”  
Jenna just nodded and leaned into him, relishing the soothing touch.  
“Do you want to test if my blood might be able to help dim the hunger?”  
“I don't know... It's...”  
“You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable with it, it was just a suggestion.”  
“You really think it would help?”  
“I do. Can't you feel that she is feeding of my aura, and that it's calming her down?”  
“You know I'm not very good at that. But if you think it will help I might as well try at least.”  
“That's my brave lioness.”  
“Oh shush.”  
Takeshi just ignored the bared fangs and pulled her closer and carefully shifted their positions so that he could offer her his arm before using a claw to make a deep cut in the wrist and offering her the blood.  
When she hesitated to take the offered blood he merely controlled the flow and waited for her to make up her mind, but when he finally felt a slightly rough tongue dart out and lick away one of the small rivulets of blood he couldn't help groaning at the sensation.  


“Sorry, did it hurt?”  
“No, not at all, quite the contrary. Remember, I'm in the early stages of my heat.”  
“Oh...”  
The next lick was slow and deliberate focused on teasing him, and he could feel her triumphant joy as she successfully made his groan turn into a rather needy moan.  
After a few more teasing licks he could feel her aura shift slightly, a distinct hunger making its presence known and a moment later she latched on to his wrist so he released the blood flow and she drank deeply, sating a hunger for raw power that she had not understood before.  
“Better?”  
“Mhm... Much better.”  
Takeshi was struggling a bit though, it would seem he was deeper into his heat that he had originally though.  
“Come on love, let's join the others for some proper food shall we?”  
“I want smoked meat!”  
“I think we still have a few of those smoked lamb legs left and I can have Sorcha tell the kitchen staff to smoke a few gongs to make sure we don't run out of smoked meat for you.”  
“A few gong, huh? Just how much do you think I eat?”  
Jenna's temper flared instantly but Takeshi just grinned at her.  
“Enough for two creatures with power.”  
The grumbling that followed was quickly silenced by a searing kiss and by the time he pulled away she sported a rather dazed look.  


By the time they joined the others a large meal had been served in the garden and everyone had gathered for a bit of a feast to celebrate the success in Zürich so Takeshi took the opportunity to introduce the new member of their household.  
“Everyone, this is Marakell of House Duneii, he is Miri's first sworn Champion and as such he will be living with us most of the time.”  
Greetings were quickly exchanged and the girls usual energy and curiosity soon had Marakell smiling as well, the welcome further soothing his abused instincts.  
“But, he's an alpha, won't that cause problems?”  
Amber's question was a valid one, especially since she herself was an alpha, giving their group a surplus.  
“It will, for instance, now that I'm going into heat I won't be able to tolerate him being here, at least not for the main period of the heat so he will have to leave for the duration.”  
“Oh, okay.”  
“The matter of my heat does bring up another issue, any of you girls who are not ready to be my bed-mates will have to leave as well.”  
The complaints were instant, but they settled down pretty fast when he reminded them that he wouldn't have his usual control, and since they all responded rather encouraging if he teased them there was a very real risk that he would not be able to keep from claiming them.  
“You can head back to the Shamarai estate, or go visit the Obsidian Halls, I'm sure Lucifer will be more than happy to show you a good time and spoil you rotten with treasury slips to use at the market.”  
The prospect of being allowed to shop at the great market in the Obsidian Halls quickly cheered them up and Takeshi almost felt sorry for what the old angel would have to suffer at their hands.  
But only almost, he was sure the old pervert would teach the girls a lesson or two about teasing as well.

  
The meal passed in the usual chaotic manner with the girls demanding to hear everything that had happened in Zürich and by the time they had managed to drag the entire story out of them it was well past sunset.  
”So, have you girls made up your minds about who stays and who goes?”  
He would have preferred to give them more time, but he could feel the heat rapidly gaining in intensity, by morning he would be fully into it.  
“Yeah, we have, we will be leaving so you can focus on your mates and courting bonds. And just so you know it, we expect you to have more mates when we come back.”  
Takeshi had no doubt that he would complete the bond with Amanda at least, Jenna and Hugin was a bit of a gamble, his heat would register both of them as breeding and thus not very interesting, and he knew that Ylian would refuse to complete the mating-bond unless the pre-existing courtings were completed first.  
Takeshi was hopeful though, since the egg was about to hatch Hugin might just revert back to his true form before the heat ended, giving them a chance to complete the bond, as for Jenna, he was pretty sure she wanted to complete it, the question was if he would have enough control to do it safely, maybe if he did it at the very start or very end of the heat.  
He wouldn't take any chances though, if he wasn't sure he would be able to control his energies he wouldn't even try.  


“What about you Miri? With your growth-spurt so close at hand do you want to stay here, or will you travel to the Obsidian Halls as well?”  
“I'm going. Marakell has to leave anyway so his alpha nature won't trigger a violent reaction when your instincts flare during the heat. So we might as well make the best of it and use the time to get used to each other.”  
It had become quite obvious the past few days that the mental part of the growth had already started, she was already acting far more adult than before, and for longer periods.  
When the early stages of her growth started she would have brief flashes where she would act more mature, and quickly revert back to her childish self, but now it was the other way around, her aura giving of a mature energy most of the time, only briefly reverting to a childish energy.  


With their decisions made Takeshi reached within his soul and pushed his power against the feathers that Lucifer had given him, they allowed the formation of a communication link similar to the crystal they had used to communicate with Ylian.  
He didn't think there would be any objections, but he wanted to make sure that it was okay for him to send them all to the Obsidian Palace for an extended period of time.  
His heat would last about 5 to 10 days, which, with the chronoshift, was an equivalent of 50 to 100 days in the Obsidian Halls.  
The contact with Lucifer's mind was a dizzying experience as there was no buffer to counteract the effects of the chronoshift but fortunately it only lasted a few moments and when it broke Takeshi had a promise that his family were welcome to visit as long as they wanted to and that they would be well cared for and protected in his absence.  
The final thought that carried through was a very suggestive promise that Takeshi was more than welcome to come spend his heat at the Palace or one of Lucifer's many hidden retreats instead, the communication had cut of rather suddenly after that, but Takeshi was pretty sure he had managed to relay a pretty solid _You wish_ before the contact was lost.  
Though, honestly he didn't mind the idea of spending a heat with Lucifer in the least, but not right now, he wanted a chance to spend one with the girls first, so spending one with Lucifer was at least 20 years into the future.  
“Go on girls, go make sure you have anything you might need packed, once my heat starts I wouldn't recommend returning here unless it's to get screwed silly.”  
“Okay!”  
The chorus of voices was just a tad to loud for Takeshi's ears and he visibly relaxed when the stampede had left the garden.  
“Now, Miri, I want you to bring the dryad sisters with you as well, their water abilities will give an extra layer of safety that I don't want you to go without.”  
“Yes, Yemo.”  
Her tone was somewhat teasing but her aura told him she would do as he had asked.  
“Now Miri, you didn't tell me the entire reason why you want to leave. Mind telling me now when the others aren't here?”  
Miri's fins instantly drooped, making her look a bit like a wilted flower.  
“Easy, you don't have to if you don't want to.”  
“It's okay...”  
She swam over to the edge and reached out for him so he made himself comfortable on the floor and put his hand in the water and moments later she was curled against it.  
“You will be running high on instincts, and well, the rapid growth can get pretty painful from time to time, especially since the different aspects of the body don't always grow in perfect sync. And I don't want you to sense my pain because then you might just try to soothe me instead of being with your mates and simori.”  
Reaching over Takeshi carefully wrapped his hands around Miri and plucked her out of the water so that he could put a kiss on her forehead before putting her back.  
“Thank you sweetie. I assume this means you will have completed the growth cycle when you return?”  
The care she showed toward him, this mates and simori made his instincts soar with pride, and it made him want to mark her as pack, but that would have to wait, he would first offer her to become a full member of his house.  
“Of course, and I expect you to honor you promise to be my guide for the Arashiri when I do.”  
“I will be eagerly awaiting the opportunity to do just that.”  
The teasing tone made Miri huff and dart away from his hand in a burst of bubbles.  


When the girls returned with their bags the dryad sisters had arrived to help Miri travel to the Obsidian Halls, but she insisted that she would only allow Marakell to carry her so Takeshi brought out one of the containers that they had used to carry her between the lagoon and the house.  
Since then they had added a mistportal in the lagoon as well as added some mist to the pond in the garden to allow Miri to travel between the house and the lagoon on her own if she wanted to.  
It was mainly done in anticipation of her growth though, once she had reached her more mature form the pond would be rather small for her, but she still wanted to be close to everyone.  
Takeshi had spoken with the Mother though, and together they had made plans to expand the pond underground and connect it to the lagoon through a tunnel, the plans were all completed and the Mother had assured Takeshi that it would be perfectly safe for all of them.  
The reconstruction of the pond would be presented to Miri as a ramhiri gift when she returned to the island.  


After seeing the girls off Takeshi headed to Matthews' room to have a word with him and see if he wanted to stay at the house, or maybe head out in the Tiamat with Eriko.  
“I have a feeling things will get a bit too rowdy for my tastes around here so I'll take that offer of using the Tiamat. Sorry, kid, guess you will have to wait for your next heat to screw the tails of our dear fox here.”  
While the words were teasing, spoken with a tone of bright humor, they did carry a darker undertone, it was quite clear that Matthews didn't expect to be around for the next heat, and Takeshi could feel the truth of it.  
Even in the short amount of time they had spent in Zürich the old soldier's life-flame had dimmed significantly, the difference had been shockingly obvious when Takeshi hadn't seen him for a few days.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Circle of Life_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


With everyone that was leaving gone Takeshi and the others gathered in the garden, teasing and playing while watching Hugin care for the egg, but as Takeshi's heat intensified the games turned decidedly more sexual and before long he was focused on Amanda with an intensity that made her squirm slightly.  


When morning came around they were fully mated and Takeshi's heat was temporarily subdued from the formation of the bond, but it was the hatching of the phoenix egg that gave him pause as it triggered some rather intense nesting instincts.  
But those instincts gave them an opportunity, they brought about the near perfect conditions for Takeshi to fully claim Jenna without the risk of harming the baby as it brought his protective instincts to extreme levels.  
Mindful of her condition he took his sweet time to bring her to her peak before sinking his fangs in and blending their souls into the ultimate bond and by the time he was done he could barely feel his heat.  


The 3rd day was spent relaxing and watching over the tiny phoenix chick, allowing it to imprint on Hugin and Takeshi as it's parents and as the sun set Hugin returned to his true form and was instantly assaulted by a very horny Takeshi whose heat had returned with a vengeance.  
“Amo, easy on the feathers please. I would very much like to still have enough of them to fly after this.”  
Hugin's soft complaints lacked any real edge as he eagerly responded to Takeshi's touches while his soul sang the familiar tune a tune that invited Takeshi to claim him fully, to finalize their bond.  


“ _I am Mainano, I am yours.”_  
_“Yes Mainano, you are mine, forever mine, my mate!”  
“Yes! Yours! Mate!”  
_

The mating with Hugin was different from Takeshi's other matings as the bond was formed using Hugin's soul name, but the bond was strong and true, and the marks that Hugin carried changed to reflect his new status as Takeshi's mate.  


During the 4th day, once Hugin recovered from the intense emotional drain of the mating he turned to the others and took the neutral stance that was second nature to the guards before calling for the attention of his co-mates.  
“Everyone, now that we are co-mates there is something I would like to share with all of you, though, I suspect some of you already know.”  
Takeshi just smiled, he could sense that Hugin was about to reveal his soul name openly to his co-mates, and out of the ones present Takeshi had a feeling that most of them already knew it.  
“My true name, my soul name, is Mainano.”  
There were a few shared looks before everyone broke out in wide smiles.  
“We know you silly little raven.”  
Takeshi had been unsure if Jenna knew, but it quickly became obvious that Hugin had unknowingly told her as well at some point.  
“Even you?”  
Hugin seemed genuinely surprised that Jenna knew as she didn't have the same power and dominant nature as the others.  
“Your soul told me while I was helping you build the nest. I figured I would take a page from our dear Alpha's book and just wait and see if you would tell me yourself.”  
She stepped forward and gave Hugin a kiss on the cheek.  
“Thank you Mainano, I will guard your name with everything I have, I will not abuse your trust.”  
Hugin's utterly stunned look had the others snickering and teasing him as they stepped up one by one to thank him for entrusting them with his soul name.  


On the 6th day Takeshi woke up from a light slumber with fire burning in his soul, the peak of his heat had arrived at last and influenced by its power he set out to claim his last remaining simori.  
To fully claim Ylian in the way of the shadelings would take quite a bit of power but there was no hesitation whatsoever in Takeshi's aura as he took the form of a shadeling and engaged Ylian in the mating fight.  
The others watched with rapt attention as Takeshi's and Ylian's forms merged and stilled, shading fights were quite different, it wasn't about skill in the way of a fight between corporeal beings, instead it was their pure power and their mental and spiritual fortitude that was tested.  
As the challenge continued the other soon turned to games of their own as it was hardly a spectator sport, the two would simply remain merged into a formless cloud until one of them submitted, or was consumed by the other.  
Several hours had passed when the battling energies finally shifted somewhat and became focused on merging even further and after a few moments they pulsed as one before separating as bonded mates.  
After returning to their usual forms the pair shared a searing kiss before Ylian pulled away, turned to Dan, and kneeled down before presenting him an orb of shadow power.  
“Dan Lindgren, Beta of Pack Kiryu, will you accept this gift, and grant me courting rights?”  


Some of the time that Takeshi and Ylian had spent merged had been devoted to creating the courting gift, it was the catalyst that Ylian had promised Dan when they gave him the moira for his mating with Takeshi.  
During their merger Takeshi had asked Ylian if they wished to take the opportunity to become pana again, but Ylian had asked him to help create a catalyst that could help Dan become more like a shadeling instead.  


There was a long silence as a rather stunned Dan just stared at Ylian and Takeshi could feel the slightly nervous edge that was creeping into Ylian's aura, and it made him smile.  
All of them viewed Ylian as an elder, their great experience and calm nature giving them a very mature presence but just like with their dear angel twins, Ylian wasn't actually very old, not for a shadeling at least.  
The twins were actually the equivalent of late teens, just coming into their twenties, and Ylian was the equivalent of someone in their mid twenties, making Dan the elder between them though most of the time Dan's somewhat whimsical nature made him seem younger than he was.  
“Danny, it's pretty rude not to answer when someone proposes to you.”  
Jenna's teasing words snapped Dan out of his stupor and a split second later he had thrown himself at Ylian, accepting the courting with a flurry of emotions.  


On the 8th day Takeshi was brought out of his slumber by a gentle shift in the energy of the island telling him that the mist portal at the lagoon had activated, and soon he could sense Miri's presence and moments later the portal at the house activated and brought Marakell into the human realm.  
No one else came through though, so Takeshi was sure that Miri had intentionally returned before the end of his heat.  


Takeshi's curiosity sparked even more when he could feel Marakell approaching the warded den, and he was carrying something with Miri's energy signature on it.  
“Shamarai-yemo, our Lady Miri has requested I present you with a missive.”  
The words were spoken from outside the barriers and made the rest of the group stir slightly.  
“Enter.”  
“Thank you.”  
The moment he stepped beyond the barriers Marakell froze and cursed under his breath as he forced himself into a fully submissive position and waited for Takeshi to approach him.  
“Let's see what our dear little Seer has to say.”  
Marakell groaned slightly as his senses were drowned in the sexual energy that Takeshi radiated but he managed to clear his mind with a slight shake of his head and hold up the small scroll-case.  
“She set me up, didn't she?”  
He muttered as Takeshi took the missive.  
“Indeed, you are as we say in the human realm, _totally_ _screwed_.”  
Takeshi's heat was almost over though, so he wouldn't have any problems keeping his hands to himself if Marakell showed any signs of rejection, but it didn't seem like it would be needed if the clawed hands he felt on his hips was any indication.  
The teasing nips, licks and kisses that followed was a sure sign that Marakell didn't mind the situation, and it also showed that he had been paying attention to Takeshi's sexual preferences as fellatio was not something that was commonly practiced among demons.  
The deadly fangs of most demon species made such activities somewhat hazardous for the one on the receiving end, and the fact that Takeshi allowed it was a sign of trust.  
The letter from Miri confirmed that she had intentionally returned before the end of the heat, and that she had set Marakell up by sending him to deliver the message early.  
She asked Takeshi to come down to the lagoon at sunset to start her arashiri, and to take good care of Marakell until then.  
Takeshi carefully put the scroll back in the case and held it out for Emelie who had approached him to see what was happening and once she had taken it he let his hand drop to Marakell's head, gently urging the demon to increase his efforts.  
Takeshi's rather obvious reaction to the treatment he was receiving caused an amused energy to flicker through Marakell's aura but the most prominent energy was desire and hunger, it would seem he was greatly enjoying the effect his actions were having on Takeshi.  


As the sun began to set everyone gathered down at the lagoon to have a look at Miri's new form, and allow her more choices should she want another female at her side for the arashiri, but as Takeshi had hoped, she had asked Arc, and Arc had accepted.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Circle of Life_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


With the heat over Takeshi sent word to Lucifer and a few hours later the girls had all returned, all of them carrying bags of clothes and trinkets, both gifts and items they had purchased themselves, thought using Lucifer's resources.  
Takeshi shook his head with an amused sigh as they showed him all the gifts Lucifer had given them, each of the items were expertly picked to fit each of their tastes and natures, and each item was masterfully crafted.  
And while not everything was made from rare or precious materials most of it was, and all of it would bring in a very high price at the markets.  
All of them had clothes and a cloak made from soft gong and omarachai hides, decorated with silver kanna spikes and vocri scales, the cloaks also had black feathers that obviously had been plucked from Lucifer himself.  
“I see he spared no efforts trying to woo you. So, Alice, was he worth it?”  
Takeshi's teasing caused a few snickers, everyone accusing each-other of falling for the old angel's charms, but the scents and energies told Takeshi that Alice had been the only one to actually accept Lucifer's, no doubt persistent, invites.  
“Yeah, he was.”  
“Good. I would be a shame if I had to go there and kick his ass for not satisfying one of my girls.”  
The laughter was instant and within moments Takeshi found himself at the bottom of an impromptu dogpile.  


The good mood however quickly vanished when the Tiamat returned with Matthews, Eriko and Takara, even the girls instantly noticed the difference in Matthews, noticed how faint and unstable his life-flame had become.  
“I'm sorry...”  
Emelie curled into Takeshi's side and she was soon joined by the other girls, pain evident in their auras as they had all come to see Matthews as a grandfather of sorts, and Takeshi had to admit, he had seen to crazy old soldier as a father for a long time.  
“Now now kids, no need for the long faces. We all knew I wouldn't last forever.”  
Matthews was clearly aware that his health was failing, and that no mortal treatments would work this time.  
“But we don't wanna lose our gramps!”  
The twins sounded almost angry, and a part of Takeshi could understand them, they had the means to save Matthews's life, but he refused to allow them.  
“My sweet little girls, my little granddaughters. You forget that I'm human, and humans die.”  
“But you don't have to be human!”  
“I know, but I want to remain human, I want to live, and die, as a human. I know it hurts, but please, respect that choice.”  
For a brief moment twin growls were heard, then suddenly they turned into whimpers and the twins rushed over to Matthews and attached themselves to him, mindful not to use their strength.  
“Kid, we need to talk.”  
“Indeed we do old man, indeed we do.”  


The walk back to the house had been somewhat subdued and once they gathered in the garden the girls gathered around Takeshi, both seeking emotional support, and offering it.  
“Angel, please create a dedicated file for this conversation.”  
“Noted.”  
“So, any special arrangements you want us to ensure for your remains?”  
There were a few shocked murmurs among the girls when Takeshi went straight to the point, but he knew Matthews well enough to know that he wouldn't want it to be all emotional, right now they were soldiers getting their affairs in order before shipping out to a hot-spot.  
“I have spoken with this Mother of yours and while I really don't understand all this strange shit you have dragged me into she explained that if my body is buried at the roots of that tree a part of me will be able to remain, and maybe offer a piece of advice here and there from beyond the grave.”  
“That's right, if you are buried at the roots of the soul-tree your spirit, the part of you that makes you, well, you, can be bound to the tree, allowing us to speak through it.”  
“Since all my assets were seized during the GCTI raids there's no point to make any will of any kind, just promise me you will look after Eriko and Taka for me.”  
“Of course. I promise I will care for them as I would any of mine.”  
“One more thing kid, I can feel my mind slipping. Please, let me die with dignity, while I'm still myself.”  
“Of course.”  
The conversation continued for a few more hours and Matthews made it perfectly clear that he did not want to wait until his mind and body failed completely, he wanted his life to end on his own terms, while he was still himself.  
It caused quite a bit of argument from the twins, accusing him of being selfish and cruel for asking such a thing of Takeshi, and Matthews didn't deny the accusations, he was well aware that it was a selfish request.  


“I think it's time kid, I'm tired, so very tired...”  
They had been talking for a few hours, and Matthews's life-flame had been steadily growing dimmer, he probably still had a few weeks left in him, but soon it would start to affect his mind.  
The walk to the Sanctuary was slow with Takeshi staying close to Matthews's side, gently supporting him when needed, while still making sure not to tarnish his dignity by coddling him.  
Once at the Sanctuary the girls helped Matthews bathe and prepare to dress for the occasion so to speak, but when Takeshi gave him a box that revealed itself to contain a full dress uniform Matthews broke into tears.  
“My Full Dress Whites, how did you manage to get your hands on this?”  
“A certain Swedish thief encouraged me to locate them and liberate them from the GCTI investigators.”  
“You knew all along we would end up here, didn't you?”  
“I held out hope that you would change your mind, but I prepared for the more likely scenario of you being stubborn.”  
Painstakingly slow they helped Matthews get into his old uniform before walking into the annex of the Soul-tree where a raised bed had been prepared for him but before he had a chance to sit down Takeshi tapped his shoulder gently.  
“There is one award missing from your uniform.”  
“No there's not, I personally checked each and every one.”  
“Not this one.”  
Takeshi held out a very formal looking box and opened it to reveal a medal, it was loosely based on the designs of the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but with the Shamarai flower of Takeshi's house instead of a star.  
“What are you up to now kid?”  
“We were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for our part in taking down the GCTI, but I would not have been able to do it without you, and you received no recognition, instead you were made out to be one of the bad guys, everything you had accomplished, everything you owned, taken away.”  
Takeshi carefully placed the medal around Matthews neck with an air of formality, thanking him for all he had done.  
“It may not be an award that is formally recognized by the US or the UN, but it will be the highest possible award in the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii and your name will always be remembered with honor and distinction.”  
By the time Takeshi was done Matthews was in tears but Takeshi suspected it wasn't over yet and he wasn't surprised when Munin stepped up by his side and presented Matthews with a simple feather trophy, thanking him for his aid in the task of restoring the balance of the realms, and revealing that his name would be written in the Hall of Heroes at the Obsidian Palace.  


“Look at the mess you made! Here I was going to tell you guys off that this is a no tears event and I end up being the one crying like a baby.”  
Matthews's grumbled complaints as he made himself comfortable on the raised bed had everyone smiling and snickering despite everything.  
“It's time kid, send me on my way.”  
Takeshi took a deep breath, it may be what Matthews wanted, but it would not be an easy task.  
Emelie's hand on his shoulder anchored him, and the calm approval radiated from the demons in the annex helped him steel his resolve as he brought a small vial of dream conch venom out of his shift.  
The potent venom would act as an anesthesia and put Matthews into a deep sleep where he would be unable to feel the effects of the deadly venom that Takeshi intended to use to end his life.  
Emelie gave him a small chalice with the sweet irri liqueur that Matthews loved and Takeshi added a few drops of the venom, administering it orally would make the effect slower and allow Matthews to gradually fall asleep in a more natural way.  
“Walk with pride into the beyond, father.”  
Takeshi's final words as he raised a toast made Matthews's eyes widen for a moment, then he broke into a brilliant smile and emptied his chalice before leaning back and allowing the venom to claim him.  
“You make sure not to join me anytime soon, son.”  
“I will do my best.”  


A few minutes later Matthews was in a deep sleep and it was time for Takeshi to fulfill his promise, carefully he gathered his power and searched out all the venomous creatures he knew of and combining their natures he shifted slightly, creating a venom sack connected to one of his claws.  
But just as he was about to pierce Matthews's skin with the venomous claw a hand stopped him, but the hand did not belong to any of the residents of the island and looking up revealed a slender figure in a black, hooded, cloak and Takeshi instantly knew what the creature was.  
“Shinigami...”  
The surprised look on the faces around him told him that they didn't see the emissary of death, it would seem he alone had been granted the privilege.  
“His time is here, this task need not be yours. Allow me to perform my duty.”  
The soft voice was neither male not female and the words were spoken softly.  
“As much as I appreciate the offer, I gave him my word that I would be the one to send him on his way.”  
“Then allow me to lend you the power of the Shinigami, the ability to grant a painless death, a true death.”  
Takeshi was somewhat suspicious of the offer, the Shinigami were not known for allowing their power to be wielded by others.  
“If I accept, will it in any way affect his decision to allow his spirit to remain here, within the Soul-Tree?”  
“No, you have my word it will have no effect beyond granting a swift and painless death.”  
“Then please.”  
He reversed the shift and when the Shinigami's hand once again touched his he could feel a tiny flicker of power entering him and he carefully reached out for Matthews's face and the moment he touched it the life-flame flickered once and vanished.  
He could feel it though, that last drop of life-force merged with his own giving him a deep sense of calm, the calm of a death that was supposed to be.  
“Thank you Shinigami for showing me this.”  
“This war, this death it caused, know this, it was meant to be. Their souls walked into the beyond fulfilled.”  
The weight of the hands on his shoulders slowly faded away and left him with a deep calm, somehow he knew that the words had been true and it had lifted a great burden from his soul.  
He still had blood on his hands, but somehow it didn't feel like it tainted him the same way anymore.  


Looking up told him that the others had a lot of questions, but they would have to wait, because Matthews's spirit was starting to rise for its final farewell.  
Takeshi was a bit surprised though when the spirit approached Jenna first, holding out a hand for her so that they could speak.  
There was a hint of hesitation before she took the offered hand, she was obviously confused about why he would approach her first as well.  
“I have a gift for you, or well, more precisely for my little granddaughter in there.”  
“What? Why?”  
“I see things so much more clearly now, and I finally understand all of this strangeness. Your little daughter has a very powerful soul, but it's a new soul, it lacks the experience and wisdom to temper that power.”  
Jenna nodded slowly, she had sensed the power herself, and Takeshi had as well and they had spoken a lot about it.  
“Take explained that we will have a tough time keeping her from losing her way, from drowning in her own power.”  
“Hopefully my gift will make that task easier.”  
Holding out his other hand a small glowing orb appeared and he held it out for her.  
“My soul may not have been a powerful one , but it was very old, hundreds of lifetimes' worth of experience and wisdom gathered. This fragment holds those experiences, all that wisdom. With your permission it will be merged with the new soul”  


Takeshi watched with slight concern as the spirit brought out a small glowing orb and gently placed it against Jenna's belly where it was quickly absorbed by their daughter's soul.  
Deep inside he knew that Matthews's spirit would never harm the child, but not knowing what was going on set his instincts on edge, but Jenna seemed calm, and happy, which soothed his instincts.  
Moments later the spirit was in-front of him and he took the offered hand and moments later he understood and nodded, allowing his gratitude to flow freely.  


The spirit said its farewell to everyone gathered before slowly merging into the tree while the body was lowered into a shallow grave, come morning there would be no trace of the remains save for the medals that Takeshi would retrieve.  
Once he was done building the new Hawaii they would be put on display in honor of the life of Thomas Matthews.  
There was one last surprise though as one of the branches of the jacaranda tree bowed down toward Eriko and deposited a beautiful kanzashi in her hands, and even from across the room Takeshi could feel that it held a tiny fragment of Matthews's spirit and she quickly put it in her hair with a wistful smile.  
The old fox had truly loved Matthews and it would take a long time for the wounds in her heart to heal.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Circle of Life_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Takeshi was sitting in his study looking over the distribution of the generators throughout the world while waiting for Angel to tell him that the Blackout was ready for takeoff when his sat phone rang, not many had the number for it.  
Assuming it was Red calling to confirm their pickup he answered with his usual _Yes?_ , but the voice on the other end was not Red, it was Amarok.  
“Isso, you need to come here, quickly.”  
“Amarok, what's wrong?”  
“The white bitch, Sesi's descendant, she has birthed a pup out of season, but she didn't survive, and the others refuse to accept the pup and it's refusing to let me feed it. Please, will you come here and see if you have better luck? Sesi's line has always had a connection to you. And this pup, I don't know what the father might have been, but I do know it was no mortal wolf, and not one of the blessed.”  
“I will be right there, have you at least been able to get some fluids in the pup?”  
“Yes, but I had to resort to subcutaneous injection, so please, hurry, he won't be able to hang on for long.”  
“I'll be right there.”  
Reaching out through his bonds he gave the bond with Ylian a gentle tug and a few moments the shadeling appeared in the shaded corner of the room.  
“You rang?”  
“Let me guess, the girls have introduced you to The Addams Family?”  
“Indeed, quite amusing.”  
“Well, I could use some help. I need to get to Alaska right away, it's an emergency so I intend to shadow-travel, but it's pretty far, so I could use a bit of a boost.”  
“Of course.”  
Ylian instantly abandoned their corporeal form and their energy became inviting, calling out for Takeshi to merge with them.  
“Angel, would you brief Dan and Hugin on the situation please and have them go get Red.”  
“Of course.”  
Following Ylian's lead Takeshi took his shadeling form and merged with Ylian before calling on the power to shadow-travel, allowing his mind to guide them to the small cave room where he had spent so much time while recovering from the loss of his unit.  


Amarok startled slightly when Takeshi stepped into the main cavern, he had obviously not expected him to arrive so soon, and was entirely focused on the newborn pup.  
“Ah, that was fast, welcome.”  
“The pup?”  
Takeshi didn't waste any time on pleasantries.  
“Here, she began lactating early so I managed to salvage a small amount of colostrum, it's in that vial there, but I haven't been able to get him to accept it.”  
Amarok handed him a bundle of cloth with the tiny pup curled up in the folds, kept warm by warm water bottle that gave just enough warmth to keep the pup comfortable, without the risk of it becoming too hot.  
“Ylian, could you bring that tray a bit closer please.”  
Takeshi carefully inspected the pup, it looked well formed, it was breathing normally and its life force seemed strong, there was no immediate reason for concern but he knew a newborn pup would fade rapidly if it couldn't nurse.  
The critical part was getting it to start feeding though, but it didn't seem to have any interest in the offered colostrum and after spending over an hour trying to get it to feed Takeshi was starting to grow concerned.  
Such a young pup couldn't survive very long without feeding, and if it took much longer it would become too weak to feed.  


“Amo, don't you think its energy feels a bit like a shadow?”  
“It does, the sire was probably at least part shadow of some sort, and it's probably what killed the dam.”  
“I think I might have an idea.”  
“Well go on, do share. Anything that might help.”  
“My mother's Stable Master once came across a Lava Hound that had been bred by a lesser shadow beast, she too perished while whelping the offspring and the pup was nearly lost as it refused all nourishment until the Stable Master gave it mare's milk mixed with her own blood.”  
Takeshi instantly gave the pup to Ylian and grabbed the small vial with some of the colostrum and cut into his hand, adding some of his blood to it before filling a new syringe and fitting one of the small nipples on it.  
Ylian gently handed the pup back and when Takeshi held the syringe closer to the pup's nose everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the pup instantly began sniffing around and weakly try to crawl toward it.  
The pup made short work of the mix before yawning and promptly falling asleep in Takeshi's lap.  
“Now that is just adorable, you would make a great pana.”  
Ylian teased lightly before leaning in and stealing a kiss to silence the low growl of objection while Amarok stared at them with a rather bewildered look.  
“Pana is the shadeling equivalent of a mother. Para would be the equivalent of a father.”  
Takeshi grumbled slightly as he explained to Amarok, there would be no end to the speculations if he didn't.  


The pup was out of immediate danger but it's energies still felt strange, fragmented and incomplete somehow so Takeshi decided to give it a more thorough examination using his aura but when he touched the pup with his focused energy he snapped back in surprise.  
_“Nani?!”  
_The strange reaction instantly had Ylian at his side, radiating curiosity mixed with a hint of concern. _  
_ “What happened?”  
“Open your senses, feel me, and feel the pup.”  
A moment later Ylian's eyes widened in the same disbelief that Takeshi had just voiced, but Amarok didn't seem to be able to figure it out.  
“Remember that shadow that was created when you changed me into a blessed?”  
“Of course I do, how many times did that troublesome thing almost kill me?”  
“Well for a while now I have been merging more completely with it, absorbing its knowledge and instincts. And now, when I used my focused aura to touch the pup to examine it...”  
Takeshi paused for a moment, the event was somewhat unsettling.  
“It left me, it left and moved to the pup...”  
Takeshi was still desperately trying to grasp the implications of what had happened, but he knew one thing, he would protect that pup with everything he had, the Beast had caused him a lot of trouble, that was true, but without it there would have been many situations where I would not have known what to do.  
There would have been many incidents that would not have ended so well as they had without the guidance of it's knowledge.  
“Amo, without that beast...”  
The concern was now dominating Ylian's energies.  
“Are you still able to use shadow powers without transforming?”  
“I don't know.”  
Takeshi carefully set the pup down in the basket Amarok had used to keep it safe and warm.  
“Only one way to find out.”  


With a calming breath Takeshi stepped into Ylian's shadow, and much to his relief the familiar gateway opened and allowed him into the shadow-realm, the feeling no different from before and he could feel Ylian's energies welcome him, encourage him.  
As he remained in the shadow-realm the feeling changed slightly, the difference was subtle at first, then it slowly grew more distinct, he could feel the energies around him much more clearly, it was like the difference between diving with a suit and diving naked.  
_“Amo?”  
_Ylian's silent call held an edge of fear which made Takeshi realize he had stayed within the shadows much longer than he usually would so he quickly slipped out of them and re-materialized a few steps to the side.  
“Don't make me worry like that. You know how hard it is to sense someone while they are in the shadows.”  
“I'm sorry ami, I needed some time in there to realize what had changed, to adapt and understand.”  
Takeshi gently pushed Ylian back until he had them pinned against the wall before allowing his energy to press down on them a bit, urging them to alter their size a bit but Ylian refused, instead they abandoned their corporeal form and slid through him.  
A moment later they were once again corporeal and quickly spun Takeshi around and pinned him against the wall before claiming a hungry kiss and the relief that radiated from them made Takeshi submit slightly, allowing the dominant action without complaints.  
“Ssh, I'm sorry. I'm okay. The shadow-realm won't harm me.“  
Ylian slowly shrank down in size and Takeshi reclaimed the dominant position, soothing and apologizing to his mate.  


“What happened in there? Why did you stay so long?”  
With Ylian reassured that Takeshi was indeed unharmed they all settled down to try to figure out just what the transition of the Beast meant.  
“I could feel everything so much more clearly, I think it has been shielding me from the shadow energies, allowing me to slowly build a tolerance, and now I no longer need the protection so when given an opportunity it decided to leave, to take a chance on a life of its own.”  
Takeshi gently brushed his energies against the tiny pup and it wiggled slightly, seeking out his energy so he cupped his hand over it and it instantly settled down again.  
“Amarok, I need one of your arctic fox furs, a winter pelt, the softer the better, one of the tougher caribou hides and my leather working kit.”  
“Of course, I owe you quite a few pelts from the time you lived here.”  


While Amarok was away fetching the items Takeshi had asked for the pup woke up again and Takeshi quickly fed it another small syringe of the mix, it was vital that the pup got as much as possible of the colostrum down, especially since there wasn't much of it to start with.  
He would have to feed the tiny thing small amounts of food, starting with the colostrum mix, and then puppy formula, roughly every other hour for the first few days, and gradually it would be able to eat larger meals less frequently.  
After feeding it he took a small piece of soft cloth and moistened it with warm water and carefully rubbed the pup to encourage it to do its toilet needs before placing it back in the warm, soft, blankets.  
“I don't care how much you complain, you do have the instincts of not just a para, but a pana as well. It suits you.”  
Ylian's soft kisses along his neck made Takeshi lean into his mate with a sigh, Ylian had a real knack for making him relax.  
“Need I remind you that you do have a room?”  
Amarok's voice carried a distinct humor as he huffed at them from the entrance to the small cave.  
“Nah, I know for a fact you're not a prude.”  
“That may be true, but honestly, you two are acting like newlyweds.”  
The huffed complaint made both Takeshi and Ylian laugh.  
“Well, technically we are, we have only been mated for 3 weeks.”  


The news about the mating sparked a conversation that lasted for several hours, and while they spoke Takeshi crafted a simple carrier for the pup, similar to a baby sling, though it looked more like a fur purse that had been turned inside out.  
But with the addition of a few fire crystals it would keep the pup at a suitable temperature, and being kept close to Takeshi would allow it to always feel his aura, as well as his scent and hear his heartbeat, things that would help keep it calm.  
And Takeshi would be able to feed it right away whenever it was hungry.  


They had decided that it would be better to bring the pup with them and allow it to imprint on Takeshi and the others instead of leaving it at the den to imprint on the blessed wolves of Amarok's pack.

 


	2. Interlude 2053

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2053_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


When Takeshi and Ylian returned to the island with the pup Red and her group were already there waiting for them but they found themselves being ignored for a while as Takeshi focused on making a small den for the pup.  
“Angel, I want you to monitor the pup at all times and if any parameter falls outside of these values alert me immediately.”  
“Of course. Should I research puppy formula suitable for a wolf pup as well?”  
“Please do. I doubt we will be able to buy it anywhere with the world in its current condition.”  
Everyone save for Ylian were watching what Takeshi was doing with avid curiosity, including the phoenix chick that was clinging to Hugin's shoulder, chittering happily at everyone and everything.  
“Come here little one, meet you baby brother.”  
Takeshi reached out his hand for the chick and it instantly threw itself from Hugin's shoulder and glided down to Takeshi's hand, it was still a bit too immature to fly properly, but was quite capable of gliding safely down from all the places it managed to climb up to.  
When he held his hand closer to the small den the chick carefully approached the sleeping pup and took a closer look before chirruping softly and settling down next to it and extended its wing over it.  
“Angel, watch the temperature carefully please so the chick doesn't get too hot for the pup.”  
“Of course, it cooled down significantly before settling down though, so it seems to know how warm it can be without harming the pup.”  
“It probably does, but I don't want to take any chances.”  
Once assured that Angel wouldn't let anything happen to the pup Takeshi turned to their guests who all looked like they had about a million questions.  


“Okay, I just gotta ask, are those actually your kids, or?”  
TamTam was the first to speak up and ask the question that they no doubt all wanted to ask.  
Realizing that they were dead serious about wondering if he was actually the father of the chick and pup made Takeshi break down into laughter.  
“Ah, I could father both chicks and pups depending on the species of their mother, but these are more like a mix of adopted kids and pets.”  
There was a distinct sigh of relief, but Takeshi suspected they simply had not yet fully digested his words.  
“Daddy, does the pup have a name?”  
“Indeed he does, I have decided to call him Yami.”  
“Because he's all black?”  
“Well, that's a convenient explanation for others, but if you use your auras you should be able to feel the real reason.”  
Takeshi watched while the twins gently brushed their auras against the pup then turn to him with a suspicious glare.  
“Are you **sure** he's not yours?”  
“Yeah, he feels like you and Ylian.”  
When an equally suspicious glance was shifted Ylian's way they just snickered, the girls' senses were not so far off.  
Being part shadow of some sort made the pup feel a bit like Ylian and the presence of the beast made him feel a bit like Takeshi, much the same way their spawns felt a bit like both of them.  
“I'm quite certain, use your auras to check me. And look deep.”  
Ylian's humor was pulling Takeshi along so his tone was quite teasing and his aura was crackling with amusement as the twins carefully explored it, mindful not to dig in too deep or too fast.  
“It's okay, you can push more, you're not strong enough to do any damage, and I know what you are doing, that you don't mean any harm so my power won't retaliate even if you manage to give me a bit of a jolt.”  


He wasn't concerned though, they were showing excellent control, normally such a deep probing into one's aura was uncomfortable at best, but the twins touch was actually quite pleasant, almost a bit too pleasant he noted as he focused on trying to suppress his reaction to it.  
Fortunately the contact didn't last very long before they both stopped and looked at each other for a moment before looking between Takeshi and the pup with wide eyes.  
“How can your shadow be in the pup?”  
The utterly confused look on Red and her unit made Takeshi smile, but when Sonnet tried to discreetly look at Takeshi's actual shadow he broke down laughing again before turning back to the twins.  
“Remember girls, it's actually a demon that has been possessing me all this time, only its relationship with me has been more of a symbiotic one rather than the more common parasitic one.”  
“So it's possessing the pup now?”  
“I don't think so, I have a feeling this pup was created to become its new home, a body of its own.”  
His words made Ylian reach out for the pup and gently probe it.  
“I do believe you're right. It feels different now, that feeling of wrongness is gone.”  
“I think what we were sensing was an incomplete soul, and that carrying such a creature to term drained the soul of the dam to the point where it could no longer sustain both of them, and sacrificed the dam to ensure the birth of the pup.”  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2053_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


With the introduction of the pup done Takeshi turned to Red and her unit.  
“I'm sorry about the sudden change of plans, and the waiting, as you can see we had a bit of an emergency, the dam died during delivery.”  
They all assured him that they didn't mind in the least but Takeshi wasn't really paying attention, he was focused on Jackal, on the subtle changes his blood had caused.  
Now that he was wearing civilian clothes instead of the rather bulky combat gear the changes were more noticeable, the improved muscle tone, even the way he moved had changed slightly, become smother, thought that was mostly due to the injury being gone.  
He radiated the familiar calm confidence that was so common among demons and blessed alike, a presence that spoke of true strength and control.  
The surge of desire that raced through Jackal's aura when Takeshi stepped up and greeted him with a proper kiss made the girls snicker at him and Takeshi grinned widely at the slight tinge of a blush that colored Jackal's face.  


“So amo, how are you handling your new senses?”  
The way Jackal was burrowing his nose into the crook of Takeshi's neck was a good sign that smells was still an issue.  
“People are horrible,and cities are even worse! So damned loud, though earplugs help a bit. But the smells, God don't even get me started on the smells.”  
“Don't worry. I promise you will eventually get used to it. And with practice you can learn to control your senses the same way you control how much strength you apply when performing various tasks.”  
“Can't I just stay here instead? I couldn't really tell before, but now I can, you smell really nice, warm and safe.”  
The murmured words made Takeshi tut at him.  
“Ah, as tempting as that might sound, I don't think my mates would appreciate that solution. But don't worry, now that the changes are complete and we have the time I will teach you to control it.”  
“If I was in his shoes I'd be more concerned about your training methods.”  
Dan's snorted comment broke Jackal out of his slightly dazed state, unable to suppress his senses Jackal had been rather strongly affected by Takeshi's pheromones.  
“Oi, I taught you how to fly just fine, didn't I?”  
Takeshi's mock offense had his chosen family laughing, and agreeing with Dan that his training methods were horrible.  
“Well, they work, don't they?”  
His words just brought on more snickering and teasing quips.  
“Do I even want to know what his methods are?”  
Jackal's somewhat concerned question silenced them for a moment before the snickers resumed and Emelie took pity on him and explained.  
“Our dear Alpha here has found a quite efficient method to motivate his lovers to learn fast. Sex, and lots of it.”  
“Figures...”  
“But he does have a point, his methods do work.”  
“Ah, at least my dear, sweet soulmate is on my side.”  
“Hmph, I'm just trying to save you from scaring the poor guy away. You would get all mopey if you did and you are annoying when you mope.”  
Takeshi was about to launch into a complaint about how mean his mates were when Angel interrupted  


“Take-san, Yami is waking up.”  
Takeshi's mood instantly shifted back to serious and he headed over to the makeshift bedding and began preparing another syringe of the blood and colostrum mixture for the pup.  
“Em, would you be a sweetheart and bring me a bowl of tepid water and a piece of soft cloth please?”  
Takeshi didn't look up from what he was doing but Emelie wasn't bothered, if anything she found it endearing to see him so focused on the well-being of the tiny pup.  
“Of course.”  
“Manda, could you bring Red and her people down to the lagoon and help them get settled in the Tiamat please? I'll come get you when it's time to eat.”  
“Sure, Hugin, Munin, come help carry their bags.”  
Both angels quickly agreed and Amanda began ushering Red and the others back down toward the lagoon.  
“Dan, would you coral the girls and get dinner started?”  
“Yes Alpha.”  
The sub harmonics in Dan's reply carried a distinctly rebellious tone that made Takeshi huff at him.  
“Cheeky little...”  


“Miss Kaiyou, is he always this intense at home?”  
TamTam's question made Amanda and the angels snicker a bit.  
“I'm a mated female now, so calling me miss is not really proper.”  
She didn't really mind though, she was mostly just teasing him.  
“Ah, Mrs? I'm sorry, Shamarai, or Kiryu? What **would** be appropriate?”  
“I'm mated, not married, the most proper address would be _Shamarai Kaiyou Yema_. But I think we can all agree that is a bit over the top, so just call me Manda, or if you feel the need to be formal Kaiyou-yema or Kaiyou-iera.”  
She took a moment to explain the differences between Yemi and Ieri to the group before TamTam brought attention back to his original question.  
“So, Manda, is he always this intense?”  
“No, not always.”  
There was a short pause and a collective sigh of relief could be heard from their guests, then Hugin decided to speak up.  
“There are times when he's worse.”  
The groan that followed had Amanda, Hugin and Munin all laughing.  
“You are just teasing us now, aren't you?”  
“Perhaps, perhaps not.”  
“Be nice Brother, you too Manda. Don't worry, he's really not that bad unless you manage to trigger his instincts, unless he's in heat, but his heat just ended so that shouldn't happen for another 10 years.”  
Munin scolded gently while explaining a bit more what Hugin had actually meant by his words.  
“Unless Lady Em goes into her true heat, that would definitely trigger him to go into heat as well.”  
He added after a moment's consideration which triggered another round of questions.  
When Takeshi joined them at the Tiamat to invite them back to the house to eat they were having a rather lively debate about demon instincts and how to deal with living with demons as a human.  
“Is everyone ready for some food?”  


The way the unaltered humans in the group jumped slightly when he spoke made it quite obvious they had not noticed him, it was equally obvious that Jackal had noticed and Takeshi watched with curiosity as Jackal got up and walked over to him.  
He carefully focused on keeping his scent calm and posture relaxed and inviting as Jackal approached with a slightly nervous edge in his aura.  
Takeshi couldn't help the slight spike of surprise though when Jackal leaned in and trailed soft kisses along the underside of his jaw, a sign of gratitude and Takeshi accepted his gesture by nuzzling the top of his head with a soft growl.  
Amanda and the raven brothers had obviously explained the meaning of the gesture and the possible responses to it as Jackal immediately relaxed.  
“Well, if you are done thanking me, how about we head back up to the house for some food?”  
The teasing tone made Jackal huff at him and Takeshi could smell the slight embarrassment.  


Watching the others board the catamaran tender Takeshi placed his hand on Jackal's shoulder and when he turned around Takeshi offered him his hand.  
“Jackal, do you trust me?”  
There was a slight pause, then he nodded and took the offered hand and Takeshi pulled him close.  
“Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. It will feel cold for a moment, but try not to open your eyes or gasp.”  
Shadow-travel as a passenger wasn't dangerous, but it could be uncomfortable to Jackal's enhanced senses, last time had been a much shorter trip, and Jackal had been unchanged at the time.  
“Ready?”  
“No...”  
The focus of Jackal's aura told Takeshi he was in fact ready though and with a chuckle he brought them into the shadows and exited in the inner garden.  
“Wow, that was different.”  
Jackal was understandable somewhat disoriented, but he quickly recovered and began asking a lot of questions about what had just happened, and Takeshi answered them as best as he could before asking Ylian to step in and explain in more detail.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2053_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Despite having seen the twins energetic nature before Red and her group stared with wide eyes at the utter chaos that was mealtime in the island household.  
“Now that's a trick I'd love to learn.”  
Wizard's comment when the plate with butter came levitating his way on top of a green cloud had the other snickering and teasing, Wizard had gained his call-sign from his love of, and skill at performing, various sleight of hand tricks.  
“It's fox magic. If you play your cards right you may be able to convince Eriko to sell you a bit of power. But be careful, foxes are tricky and you are not a part of my house so you are not protected from being tricked by her.”  
Takeshi's explanation had Wizard staring at him with wide eyes.  
“Wait, seriously? It would be possible for me to learn how to do that?”  
“Well, you would have to be given a spark of foxfire first, but yes. It is possible, the girls were just human when they first learned it. Eriko gave them a spark of her power, and with time they learned to channel the energy themselves”  


Takeshi had a feeling Eriko would gladly take on a pupil, if only to distract her from Matthews' death, the fact that she was observing the traditional 49 days of mourning, even going as far as wearing a black kimono was quite telling.  
She had come to see Matthews as a mate and she had taken his death very hard, during the first few days she had raged, screaming at the skies, and at Takeshi for allowing Matthews to die, for forbidding her to use her power to save him.  
Then she had broken down and cried herself to sleep in his arms and when she woke the next day she had placed Takara in Emelie's arms before secluding herself in her room for the rest of the week.  
When she rejoined them she was wearing the simple black kimono that showed she was in mourning.  


“Maybe mommy won't be so sad if she has someone to teach?”  
Takara put Takeshi's thoughts into words and he gently tweaked her ear in a comforting gesture.  
“She will be sad and hurting for a long time Taka, but maybe it can help her keep her mind off the pain while her heart heals.”  
“It's stupid, why do humans have to die so easy?”  
“I don't know sweetie, I don't think anyone can answer that.”  
When Takara started sniffling and sobbing Takeshi plucked her from her seat and tucked her into his lap before turning to Wizard who was clearly somewhat distressed at the strange turn of events.  
“Her mother, Eriko, was very close with Matthews, she took his death very hard.”  
“Wait, Matthews? Thomas Matthews of the GCTI carrier Liberty?”  
Sonya instantly connected the dots.  
“Yes.”  
“I'm sorry. He was important to you, wasn't he?”  
“Over the years he has become like a father to me.”  
Before they could ask any more questions about what had happened Takeshi carefully steered the topic to safer ground, talking about their plans for the future.  


“Really? You plan to tear down all of Honolulu and rebuild it?”  
“Not just Honolulu, all of Hawaii, and I don't intend to rebuild all of it.”  
“What? What about everyone living there?”  
As usual TamTam was the most vocal out of the group.  
“Easy, you are forgetting to add the time aspect, this is not plans for a few years, or even decades, we are talking about a century or more. And we will put our best efforts into convincing any non native humans that their best option is to accept the relocation offers.”  
Takeshi needed Hawaii to be fully self sufficient, but to do that he needed to reduce the population.  
“The current population of Hawaii is over 3 million, we won't be able to fully sustain that population without harming the environment. It needs to drop below 1 million, non-humans included. Ideally I would like to see a 90% population drop initially, with an end goal of somewhere between 100.000 and 250.000.  
“Won't that cause reproductive issues in an isolated population?”  
Takeshi found it amusing how the patterns of the conversation remained the same, TamTam would open up with a question or two, then the others would chip in based on their own area of expertise, Wizard for instance was asking the questions related to his medical knowledge.  
“In an entirely human population it would eventually lead to a reduction in genetic diversity and the risk of compounding genetic disorders but demons are not susceptible to the issues caused by inbreeding. And the blessed actually require a certain degree of inbreeding to maintain their ability to shift, but like demons they are not susceptible to genetic disorders.”  
Takeshi explained how it also was common for demons to breed with related individuals to maintain the unique characteristics of their species, and how powerful ones, like the Lilim, would do so to make sure that new powerful demons were born.  
“So marriages between for instance cousins is common among demons?”  
“No, it's actually extremely uncommon for closely related individuals to form mating bonds. Most mating bonds are formed based on Simiriwi, The Calling, and closely related individuals will not experience it.”  
He continued to explain the difference between mating, sex and breeding in most demon cultures, especially in pack oriented species.  
“So even species that form monogamous bonds will occasionally breed outside the paring?”  
“Yes, to maintain diversity. Remember, demons live for a very long time.”  


The conversation slowly drifted along various topics of demon life and culture and how they were different, and yet similar to humans.  
After a while the topic shifted to Takeshi's own plans for the immediate future, the plan for himself and his chosen family.  
“The girls have made it quite clear that while they enjoy life on the island they want to experience city life, the people, the shopping and parties.”  
“Be nice, they just want a chance to be normal teens.”  
Wraith scolded with a teasing wink to the girls, she hadn't said anything during the conversation, but she had listened very carefully and Takeshi had no doubt that she remembered every little word that had beed said.  
“They aren't really teens anymore though, they are all older than they look. But you are right in that they want to try a normal life on for size.”  
Remembering his promise that they would move to a city, at least for a few years Takeshi turned to the girls.  


“So, have you girls decided what city you want to live in?”  
He knew they had been talking about it during their study time, they would often take breaks talking during their studies to talk about more personal matters, with his hearing, and their habit of leaving the windows open and debating at a rather high volume, it was hard not to overhear them at times.  
“Yeah, we have. We wanna live in Miami, on the coast. And we want a nice winter cabin somewhere where we can enjoy the stars and the aurora.”  
“Do you want the cabin in an area with other people, or somewhere private, like maybe up in the mountains north of Amarok's den?”  
A quick silent conversation followed before all of them spoke at once.  
“Both!”  
“So, one cabin in Alaska, and where do you want the other one?”  
“Well, Tromsø was nice, how about there?”  
The twins were the first to speak up, recalling their extended vacation with Takeshi and Emelie.  
“Any other suggestions?”  
The others just shook their heads.  
“Tromsø and Miami it is then.”  
The cheering was quite loud, which woke Yami, which in turn earned the girls a scolding while Takeshi doted on the pup, it didn't show any interest in food, but it did need to relieve itself which Takeshi used a damp cloth to take care of before it promptly fell asleep again.  


“Now, what kind of house do you want in Miami? Do you want to keep living like this in a big house with just your own rooms, or would you perhaps like a bigger house where you can have a small apartment to yourself?”  
Takeshi's only non-negotiable demand when it came to the house was that he wanted all of the girls to live in the same place, not spread out over the city.  
“We want beach bungalows.”  
“And you don't want to share I presume?”  
Takeshi sighed rather deeply, of course they would want something complicated.  
“Mhm.”  
“So, mainland or the keys?”  
“The keys is so far from the city, we wanna live closer so we can go out partying and shopping.”  
Takeshi had expected as much, but he groaned anyway, he enjoyed privacy and did not want to live too close to the rest of the city.  
“How about North Bay?”  
They quickly agreed that the western island of North Bay was a good choice, it would even be possible to get the Leviathan into the protected harbor formed by the northern part of the island.  
“Now, this is going to take some time, it won't be a quick task to acquire the land there.”  
“A quick guess, you intend to acquire the entire western island?”  
“That's right Carol.”  
“Is that even going to be possible?”  
“It is, part of the treaties to get the generators was that they have to allow me to obtain a certain amount of land, regardless of current owners. It will be claimed under eminent domain as part of the payment for the generators.”  


There was a similar clause in each of the contracts signed with the individual nations of the world as payment for the cost of building, shipping, installing and maintaining of the generators.  
That part of the agreement was made with the Mandrake Group and the Kiryu holdings, meaning they would be his private property to do with as he pleased.  
“We need to give them some time though to move the people living there, and of course tear it all down and build our own homes.”  
“We know. It's not like you would let us move now anyway. Not until the world has recovered and stabilized again.”  
They were right of course, he did not want to move into a city until the damage done by the _Dark War_ was undone.  
“Also, Maria, Sarah, if you go live in the city you can't stay in your child forms. Are you ready for that?”  
“We are.”  
They brushed their auras against him and as they did there was a distinct shift in their energies and the childish feel was replaced by a more mature energy of an older teen.  
“Guess it's time to step up the self-defense classes with all of you. And driving lessons.”  
The mention of more self-defense classes had all of the girls groaning, but the mention of driving lessons instantly turned the groans into cheers.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2053_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“I think it's time to call it a night, our guests are starting to look like they are about to fall asleep, and we have a lot to do tomorrow, Miri wants to see them, and they need to come visit the Sanctuary to meet the Mother.”  
They would also have to decide if they should get familiars, or be seeded, or maybe both, all of them needed to be able to communicate with Takeshi while he was shifted and only Wraith and Sonnet had the ability naturally, Jackal had gained the ability from Takeshi's blood.  
The girls objected a bit, they were having a lot of fun getting to know Red and her team but Takeshi reminded them that their guests were mortal humans, Jackal may be a bit more resilient now, but he still needed his sleep.  
Leaving Yami in Ylian's care Takeshi walked the group back down to the lagoon and made sure Angel registered them as authorized users for the tenders and jet-skis as well as most of the Tiamat's systems.  
After saying goodnight to his guests Takeshi and Jackal stayed up a bit longer to work on Jackal's sense of smell but after an hour or so Jackal started yawning as well so he decided it was time to retire for the night.  


“Aren't you going to invite me to stay?”  
Takeshi used his arms and body to gently trap Jackal against the wall and the way the young man's pulse and breath hitched was promising.  
“I thought you said we had a big day tomorrow and needed sleep?”  
The teasing reply made Takeshi smirk and lean in to trail kisses along Jackal's jaw and gently nip at his ear.  
“Don't worry. I am more than happy to just spend the night holding you and watching you sleep.”  
Jackal instantly relaxed and slumped against Takeshi with a pleased sigh.  
“I think I can live with that.”  


Despite the agreement that there would be no sex, just cuddling, there was no lack of eagerness as they helped each other out of their clothes and the kisses and touches that followed left them both burning for more.  
“Maybe this wasn't such a great idea...”  
Jackal was panting rather heavily making his words come out somewhat garbled but the objections went silent when Takeshi grabbed him tightly and gave him a long kiss that started out rather hungry.  
Takeshi however used his experience and control to slowly turn the kiss from harsh and hungry to soft and sweet before tucking Jackal under his chin.  
“Sleep.”  
Jackal grumbled something unintelligible and moments later he was sleeping soundly and Takeshi allowed himself to drift away into a half-sleep.  


Takeshi was pulled back to full awareness about two hours later by the presence of Ylian's aura, and underneath it he could sense Yami and it quickly became obvious that Jackal was sensing them as well as he slowly stirred and looked up at Takeshi with a questioning glance.  
“It's Ylian and Yami, they are in the shadows.”  
“Is something wrong with the pup?”  
Jackal's concern about Yami made Takeshi smile and snicker at him.  
“It doesn't feel like it, he's probably just refusing to accept food from anyone but me.”  
“Guess you better feed him then.”  
Since Jackal had no objections Takeshi flared his aura slightly and gave Ylian permission to step into his shadow, he was sure that if Yami had been in any danger Ylian would not have bothered with such formalities as waiting for permission to enter.  
“Hello ami. Is Yami giving you a hard time?”  
“Indeed, your little rascal refuses to allow us to feed him despite the blood mixed with the milk.”  
“Excuse me, but did you mix your own blood into it as well, or only Take's?”  
Jackal's question made both Takeshi and Ylian pause.  
“He might be onto something, if I feed him a mix with both our bloods maybe he will accept being fed by you, recognizing you as a caretaker.”  
“It's worth a try, he's part shadow so my essence won't harm him, the worst that could happen is that he refuses to eat it and we lose one vial of the dam's milk.”  
Jackal watched with avid curiosity as Takeshi added a few drops of Ylian's blood to the syringe and shook it to mix it with the colostrum and blood already in it.  
Clinging to Takeshi's back he watched with bated breath as the mixture was offered to the pup, and he joined the sigh of relief when the pup quickly suckled it all down.  
But moments later a low, slightly annoyed growl from Takeshi made Jackal stumble back into the bed in surprise.  


“What did I do?”  
Takeshi was pointedly ignoring him while tending to the pup so he turned to Ylian who was struggling not to laugh.  
“Please, what did I do wrong?”  
“Nothing bad, I promise. Our dear Take is being a bit grumpy.”  
“I can tell, but why? I did something wrong, didn't I?”  
“You are unable to control your aura, the way you project your emotions. You just thought about how adorable he looks when doting on the pup, right?”  
“Yeah..?”  
“While you did, your aura also shifted into a somewhat protective and slightly dominant pattern.”  
“Oh, dominant is bad that much I have managed to learn.”  
“Don't worry, it wasn't enough for him to see it as a challenge, however combined with your emotions you were pretty much saying what an adorable mother he makes.”  
Jackal's eyes widened for a moment and he struggled to suppress an amused snort, but didn't really succeed.  
“Oh... Damn... Sorry Take... I didn't mean to...”  
Takeshi huffed and turned slightly, putting his back entirely toward Jackal, a sign of dismissal and Jackal instantly deflated and gained a somewhat kicked puppy look that made Ylian take pity on him.  
“Alpha, don't be mean to the poor kid. His senses might be sharp enough now, but he lacks the knowledge to interpret the information to be able to tell you are just teasing him.”  
There was a moment of confused silence then Takeshi twisted and pounced and Jackal found himself pushed into the bedding by a grinning Takeshi who quickly set out to tease him while Ylian leaned back in the chair and watched.  
Between the clawed hands and the grinning mouth Jackal found himself swiftly brought to the edge and over before being gently tucked under Takeshi's chin.  
“Go on, get some more sleep.”  
“How am I supposed to sleep after that?”  
“I would think you would sleep rather well.”  
“Ugh, you're impossible...”  
Despite the complaints Jackal was quickly settling down, but Takeshi could feel a slight sense of longing from Ylian so he gave Jackal a gentle nudge.  
“Do you think you would be okay with Ylian joining us?”  
“I don't know...”  
The tone was hesitant, but he had been fine with Ylian watching them so Takeshi was hopeful that he would at least be willing to try to see if he could be comfortable with both of them sharing his bed.  
“Are you willing to at least try? Yi will leave if you are uncomfortable with it.”  
After a few moments consideration Jackal nodded and Ylian quickly joined them, making themselves comfortable behind Jackal before placing their arm over him so they could touch Takeshi.  
“Feeling okay?”  
Takeshi's soft question was met by a slow nod and a barely articulate mumbling that made both Ylian and him smile.  
“Feels safe.”  
That was a feeling both Takeshi and Ylian was familiar with, they both knew just how good it could feel to sleep somewhere where you truly felt safe.  
“That's good. Now sleep, we will watch over you.”  
The mumbling that followed was impossible to make out and moments later Jackal was asleep again.  


Next time Yami woke and needed feeding and cleaning Ylian carefully altered their form so that they could tend to it without disturbing Jackal, and much to their relief the pup now accepted being fed by them.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2053_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Come morning Takeshi and Ylian were both struggling not to laugh as Jackal had turned around in his sleep and was now snuggling up against Ylian and as he was slowly waking up he had begun to trail kisses along their chest which they were quite obviously enjoying.  
Sensing that Jackal was finally awake enough to register what happened around him Takeshi spoke up with a teasing tone.  
“You know, something like this could really put a dent in a guy's self-confidence.”  
It took a moment for Jackal's sleep-addled mind to realize that Takeshi's voice had come from behind him, not in front of him, but once he did he cursed quite colorfully before apologizing to Ylian for taking such liberties with them.  
“Oh, no need to apologize. I found it to be quite enjoyable, you are no doubt a talented lover.”  
The somewhat frustrated spluttering that followed proved to be too much for Takeshi's restraint and he broke down laughing.  
“Don't worry, no one is offended. Unless you are.”  
“No, just a bit embarrassed. Or well, very embarrassed actually...”  
“There's no need for that. And I assure you, if you wish this to stay inside these walls it will.”  
Jackal leaned back against Takeshi, but he didn't turn around, instead he looked at Ylian's somewhat androgynous body with thinly veiled curiosity.  
“You are more than welcome to continue your exploits and explore my form.”  
Ylian's teasing invitation made Jackal pause for a moment.  
“Things like this. It's really okay with you guys?”  
“It is. Remember, Ylian is my 7th mate and yi is courting my 2nd mate and I have no doubt yi will one day become my cross-mate.”  


Takeshi explained that in group mating's like his all mates usually had intimate relationships with some, or all, of their fellow mates, it ensured that everyone had a chance for intimacy when they wanted it, even if the dominant, or core, mate was currently with one of their other mates.  
“How do you avoid jealousy?”  
“It's different with packs, we are usually fine with other pack-members, or core members of the same house. Outsiders can make things complicated though.”  
“And I'm an outsider...”  
“Not entirely, since I used my power to heal and change you a bit you are, at least in part, one of us.”  
Takeshi's somewhat diplomatic words made Ylian snort in amusement so he hurried on to explaining them in more detail before the shadeling decided to do it in his stead.  
“As you have no doubt realized I'm attracted to you in both a carnal way, and emotionally. And my interest is not fleeting, I want us to get to know each other better, to see if we would make good mates.”  
“Oh...”  
“And this is where the problem comes in. My instinct is to claim you, mark you so that everyone knows you are mine, so that no one will try to steal you away. To ensure that if we mate I will be your first mate.”  
Takeshi continued to explain about how different marks held precedence over each other.  
“Bottom line is, if anyone able to place a formal claim approaches you in a way that indicates they are interested, Take here might get a bit grouchy and confrontational.”  
Ylian quickly summed up Takeshi's explanation.  
“So, someone like you?”  
“Yes, but I have been around for a while, and I'm used to the instincts of demons so I make sure to remain submissive, passive, paired with the fact that we are mates it will soothe his instincts.”  
“But won't that make me seem like a potential threat to your mating? Like I'm trying to steal you away from him?”  
The concerned tone made both Ylian and Takeshi snicker, and it was Takeshi that answered.  
“I'm very confident in my mating bonds. They are true and strong, I share the _simiriwi_ with all my mates, and ours are love matings, this makes our bonds exceptionally strong which in turn soothes my instincts, gives me confidence that no one will be able to steal my mates from me.”  
“So no one will mind? Take offense or be jealous?”  
“Don't worry, no one will take offense.”  
Takeshi knew that Dan would be a bit insecure about Jackal in the beginning, but he would soon find himself again, reassured by the unwavering power of their bonds.  


Reassured that it was okay Jackal allowed his curiosity to take over and he slowly placed one hand on Ylian's chest.  
”You're a bit cold, and you don't have any nipples...”  
The obvious confusion and disappointment in Jackal's voice made Ylian raise a questioning eyebrow so Takeshi slowly let his hand slide from Jackal's stomach and up over his chest where he brushed his fingers over the nipple, earning him a gasp and a sharp spike in pheromones.  
Seeing Jackal's reaction Ylian's questioning look instantly turned teasing.  
“Remember, I'm a shadeling, we are not mammals, in fact our natural state is incorporeal, a dark cloud of power. This body you see and touch is just a representation of my will.”  
With a flicker of power Ylian altered their body to have nipples and Jackal slowly brushed his finger over the one that had appeared under his hand, earning him a soft gasp that turned into more of a moan when he carefully rolled it between his fingers and gave it a gentle tug.  
The fact that Ylian responded so strongly to the touch was proof of their skill and power, far from all shadelings were able to make such accurate forms.  
Encouraged by Ylian's reactions Jackal leaned in and began trailing kisses over their chest again, but this time Takeshi joined the teasing by allowing his hands to mimic what Jackal was doing to Ylian, something that quickly brought both his lover and his mate to the edge and over.  


By the time Red and the others woke up Takeshi, Ylian and Jackal were seated at the common area playing cards which earned them a few suspicious glances and teasing quips.  
“Do you want to eat here, or come up to the house? Fair warning, all our meals are equally chaotic.”  
The warning about the mealtime chaos made the choice easy and they quickly prepared a simple meal at the Tiamat before Takeshi sat them down for a more serious discussion.  
“As you are aware my house and I are able to communicate telepathically and during last evening I tested all of you to see if you possess the gene for active telepathy and I found that none of you do, not naturally at least. Jackal has an inactive form of it due to the way I healed his back, and Sonnet and Wraith has a passive form that allows them to hear me but not reply.”  
“I assume that's not unexpected?”  
“No it's not. I would however like to give you a few options to change that.”  
Takeshi explained about the familiars, and about the seeding, and after a fairly short deliberation it was agreed that they would receive both.  


Bringing them to the Sanctuary caused the usual reaction of amazement and it took a while before they were collected enough to begin the process of giving them their familiars.  
While the newcomers explored the wonders of the main chamber Takeshi spoke with the Mother, which ended with him being scolded much the same way he would often scold Dan and Jenna.  
_**“You are my chosen one, I trust you. If you wish to change them, do so. If you want me to grant them familiars I will do so without question.”**_ _  
“And if I screw up. Trust the wrong person?”  
__**“Then I trust you to take care of it. We all make mistakes, even the Avatars. Such is the way of the world.”  
**__“Most won't risk wiping everything out if they make a mistake.”  
__**“True, but you know the stakes, you don't make these decisions easily.”  
**__“I guess...”  
__**“I know. Now go ahead, let's see what their blood makes.”**_  


After the usual startled confusion at the hearing the voice of the Mother Takeshi explained how a familiar was made, though he was a bit surprised when the Mother told them to collect all the blood in a single pitcher.  
_**“Please, humor me. I wish to see if you are able to tell whom each of the familiars belong with.”**_  
Takeshi just huffed at the idea, though, he had to agree it would probably be rather amusing.  
“Red, how about you go first?”  
“I guess someone has to. Might as well be me.”  
“I will use a dragon-stone blade to make the cut, their sharpness allows them to cut cleanly and without pain, also they leave no scars.”  
Sonya just nodded and held out her hand.  
Takeshi took the offered hand and with a swift motion he cut fairly deep into her hand and held it over the pitcher before bringing it to his mouth and giving the cut a quick lick to seal it.  
“Don't worry Red, my saliva has healing properties.”  
Sonya looked a bit apprehensive, but true to his words the cut was completely healed, one by one they stepped forward and offered Takeshi a hand, which he cut into, then healed.  
But when Jackal stepped forward Takeshi paused, the way Jackal was looking at his claws made him set the small blade aside and when he placed a claw against the skin Jackal nodded so he used his claw to make the cut, the lick it to heal as he had before.  


“Now what?”  
With the last blood added to the pitcher Takeshi found himself at the center of attention.  
“Now we wait a bit for them to form.”  
Power was pulsing and twisting within the pitcher as is slowly grew larger and when the energy stilled it looked like it was about to burst.  
“How about we make a bit of a game out of this? I will bring one of the creatures out and you all write down who's familiar you believe it to be, then when all of them has been brought out we check how many you managed to get right?”  
“Any prices involved?”  
TamTam's teasing question made Takeshi snicker.  
“Yes, but it will be a surprise. So what do you say?”  
They all quickly agreed and after a bit of a scramble they all had a piece of paper and something to write with.  
“Let's do this then.”  


Takeshi reached into the pitcher and was not surprised to feel a snake slither around his hand and he carefully brought the small creature out and held it out toward the group.  
“A beautiful serpent.”  
The hooded serpent looked like a cross between a cobra and a red-bellied black snake, it kept its hood tightly folded though, making it impossible to see the pattern on it, but Takeshi knew without seeing, the pattern would be a flickering flame, because the serpent was Sonya's familiar.  


Putting his hand back into the pitcher he felt the clawed feet of a large spider and pulling his hand out revealed a large tarantula, the spider was black with a purple metallic sheen and bright silver patterns which made it quite stunning, it was also very large.  
“I hate spiders...”  
Sonnet's complaint made it hard for Takeshi to keep a straight face, as the spider was his.  
“Oh shush, it's amazing. Look at those colors.”  
Wraith had a very different opinion of the creature.  
“Great, it's all yours.”  


Feeling around for the third familiar he once again felt tiny claws against his skin, but this time the creature revealed was a black scorpion that carried traces of Wizard's aura signature.  
The creature was slightly transparent though, as if cut from black crystal or glass.  


The fourth creature to touch his hand carried a distinct demonic signature mixed with Wraith's aura and when it crawled up on his hand it was revealed to be a beautiful little moth dragon.  
It had the slender body of a feathered forest dragon but wings and antennae like a moth, this particular specimen also had several tiny horns which, along with its brilliant ruby color revealed its origin to be from the red plains.  
The species was very rare and Takeshi could feel that just like the twins titanoboas and Dan's raijū this was an actual moth dragon, not an artificial construct.  
Along with the flavor of her blood it convinced Takeshi that Wraith had a demon lover, it was faint, but there were traces of demon in her aura, but not in her blood.  


The fifth familiar was warm and fuzzy against his hand and carried TamTam's energy, and bringing his hand out revealed a tiny weasel in its winter colors that soon had everyone snickering at it as it displayed the hyper-energetic nature of its kind.  


Another foray into the pitcher revealed a bat with large ears which Takeshi could tell was Screech's familiar.  


Reaching down into the pitcher one last there was no more creatures coming into his hand, instead he found a smooth egg at the bottom it, it would seem Jackal's familiar was either very large or a bird of some sort.  
Scoping it up revealed a black and blue speckled egg the size of a large goose egg and Takeshi was very curious about what kind of creature would hatch from it.  
Brushing his aura against it triggered the hatching and before long it revealed a tiny white crow that rapidly grew into a full sized bird.  
It was obviously not a natural crow as it feathers and even the beak and skin was pure white, and its eyes were silver.  


“So, has everyone made their guesses for which creature goes where?”  
“Yeah, we are all done. Let's see how badly we messed up.”  
They all handed Takeshi their slip of paper and he quickly noted that no one had managed to get them all correct and that TamTam had managed to get the most points which gave Takeshi another opportunity to try to woo the man.  


“Let's start with this lovely little snake.”  
Most of them agreed that the snake had to be Sonya's familiar and when Takeshi handed it to her it flared its hood and displayed the brilliant red flame which was flickering slightly.  
“Now, as you can tell it's not a real snake, it's an artificial construct but it does have a mind and instincts. It's extremely venomous, but it can't harm you Red. And it won't harm anyone you don't want it to harm.”  
He continued to explain how the familiar didn't need to eat, but was fully able to, and that she would probably see food vanishing from her plate from time to time.  
He explained about its ability to change its form, but would go into more detail on that after all the familiars were with their masters.  


“Next up is this lovely little thing.”  
Holding up the spider he waited for everyone to make their guess and none guessed it right, most believed it was Wraith's familiar while TamTam had guessed that it was Wizard's.  
“Good guesses, but you are all wrong.”  
They all looked between each other, trying to figure out who would get the large arachnid as a companion and after a while Sonnet began to squirm and look a bit uncomfortable.  
“It's mine, isn't it?”  
“That's right.”  
“Why me, why a spider? Couldn't it be that cute weasel or the cool bat?”  
“Because you fear them. Having one around that you know is not dangerous, that you feel connected with, will help you conquer that fear.”  
“I guess...”  
Takeshi held out the spider for him, but it took a while for Sonnet to gather the courage to hold out his hand and allow it to crawl over to him.  
As had happened with Jenna he instantly calmed down when the connection formed fully.  


Continuing in the same manner Wizard received his scorpion before Wraith bonded with her little moth dragon.  
“Now Wraith, this little thing is not a construct like the others, it's a real moth dragon, a very rare creature from the demon realm. This means it will require some more care, but I will teach you how to care for it and I will make sure you always have access to suitable food to feed it.”  
“But won't that cause trouble if it can't transform and hide like the others?”  
“Don't worry. Its species lives among a wide range of larger predators with extreme senses, it has a wide range of abilities to help it hide and survive. It's a lesser demon so its mentality is more like that of an animal, but it's just as intelligent as a human.”  


When it was time for the weasel everyone was in agreement that the energetic little imp of a creature had to be TamTam's familiar.  
It suited him well, it was quick, clever and fearless and Takeshi had no doubt that TamTam, just like a weasel, could be quite deadly when he needed to be.  
“Well hello there little one, I have a feeling we will get along just fine.”  
“More like get in trouble together just fine. Or create havoc together just fine.”  
TamTam's eager greeting of his familiar caused some good natured teasing before everyone turned their focus to Takeshi as he held out the bat.  
“Screech, that one is definitely yours.”  
“Of course she is. Adorable little thing.”  
Screech quickly tucked the bat into the breast pocket of his shirt and moments later it poked it head out and looked around with the large ears carefully twitching and turning at the slightest sound.  


Last up was the white crow and Jackal stepped up to receive her without hesitation, though he did complain a bit when she instantly hopped to his shoulder and began pecking at his ear.  
“It's magnificent. Though, I could do without the ear abuse.”  
“She suits you well, beautiful and intelligent, and with courage at heart. And don't worry about your ear, she won't actually hurt you.”  
“Still trying to sweet-talk me even after getting in my pants?”  
Jackal huffed at the teasing compliment.  
“Well, I never claimed that I intended to settle for just getting into your pants.”  
“Now you're in for it Jacky.”  
Jackal hissed in mock annoyance at TamTam's teasing before countering with a quip of his own.  
“Says the guy who just won a surprise reward from the resident playboy.”  
The counter instantly had the larger man spluttering and blanching as he glanced over at Takeshi.  
“Oh don't worry TamTam. I promise you will like your prize.”  
Takeshi's teasing tone and hint of a wink made TamTam's eyes widen in mock concern.  
“You know, comments like those really don't make things any better...”  
The slightly concerned tone brought down laughter and more teasing and Takeshi left them to it for a while before showing them how to hide and change their familiars.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2053_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Wow, these rebreathers are really small. What's the dive time on them?”  
“As long as you want it to be. It may look like a normal, although small, closed circuit rebreather, but the likeness is superficial. The inside is based on sanctuary crystals and a mix of algae and plankton created by the Mother for this purpose.”  
Takeshi continued to explain how the tiny rebreathers worked while handing them out to Red and her people and kept an eye on them as they put them on to make sure they weren't having any issues with the small size.  
He went through the pre-dive steps with them, making sure to check every piece of the equipment and make sure nothing was damaged or malfunctioning.  
Once in the water Takeshi continued to give them a quick lesson in using the unfamiliar HUD.  
“Looks good. Now we need to configure them, put the mask on and activate the HUD.”  
He showed them how to read the mix indicators before giving them the okay to take the regulator and go beneath the surface  
“The color will change from red to green as the system calibrates to the specific needs of your body, and once it's green we are good to go. Once in the water it will keep adjusting so it might occasionally turn yellow or orange again. If it does you need to stop, take calm breaths and wait for it to return to green. If it does not return to green within a minute or two or turns red, call for me and I will come check it.”  
The system was still largely untested on humans due to a lack of suitable human test subjects, something Takeshi intended to make use of Red and the others to change.  
With everyone geared up and their gas mix fully configured Takeshi shifted into his naga form and began guiding them down to the hidden cave where Star-singer's eggs were resting.  
The egg that had been brought from stasis was still maturing, but it had the glowing thread-like seeds growing all over it so Takeshi would be able to implant Red and the others without problems.  
He was a bit curious though to see what Miri was up to, she hadn't greeted him by the beach as she usually would, instead she was waiting down with the eggs.  
That Arc was staying away was expected though, she was a bit shy and very protective of her pups so it would probably take a while before Red and the others got a chance to see her or the little rascals.  


When they arrived in the cave that housed the eggs Miri was waiting for them with her tail coiled around the maturing egg as if she was guarding it and Takeshi swam up to her and greeted her by brushing his body against hers.  
“Hello Miri. We missed you at dinner yesterday.”  
Her only reply was a puff of bubbles and a slightly harder brush against his body, making sure her fins brushed against his gill covers and genital slit but the touch was teasing rather than needy.  
“Ah, Lady Miri, you look different somehow.”  
Jackal's teasing greeting earned him a huff, but there was a slight hint of concern tainting the familiar's transmission, it would seem that her seemingly rapid aging had him concerned.  
“Don't worry Jackal. My kind grows in stages, it was merely time for me to go from being a child to being an adolescent. By human standards I am a lot older than I look though.”  
She gave Jackal a short explanation, telling him that her actual age was over 100 years old, and that she would never die of old age, her line had never bred with the visitors so she retained the eternal nature of her ancestors.  


While Miri spoke to Jackal the others were looking around the cavern with avid curiosity.  
“What are these?”  
Screech was slowly moving around the stasis crystal with the small eggs inside.  
“They are eggs from a space-dwelling creature called Star-singer.”  
“Alien eggs?”  
“Indeed. Alien eggs. The big one here is the same, only it has had time to mature a bit.”  
“So, it's not just demons and dragons, angels and mermaids, but aliens as well?”  
“It's a lot to take in, I know, but it gets easier with time. For now it's time for some alien gene-therapy though.”  
“Suddenly that sounds a lot more intimidating...”  
“You have my word that it's perfectly safe.”  
Takeshi could understand Screech's reaction, he had dropped quite a bombshell on them and they still didn't know him well enough to know how deeply he felt about his word being his bond.  
“I guess I will be going first then.”  
Jackal's voice held conviction and trust which made Takeshi's instincts soar, and Miri snickered at the slight shift in the flavor of the water.  
“So, how do we do this?”  
Jackal swam up next to Takeshi and waited for further instructions.  
“Come closer, and move slowly, try not to disturb the water too much.”  
While Jackal slowly moved closer Takeshi reached out for the egg and gently coaxed a few glowing strands into rising from the surface before separating one of them from the bunch and giving it a gentle tug caused it to detach from the egg.  
“I'm going to place this against the back of your neck where it will enter your body and merge with your spine and from there it will gradually alter your DNA to give you active telepathy. You won't feel anything though.”  
When Jackal nodded Takeshi placed the glowing strand against the skin of his neck and waited for it to burrow, once it was gone he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss at the spot which rewarded him with a subtle shift in the flavor of the water.  
The telltale flare of Miri's gills made it quite obvious that she had detected the pheromones as well and was testing the flavor, for a moment Takeshi almost felt sorry for Jackal as Miri could be positively feline in her curiosity.  


By the time Takeshi was done with the seeding Jackal was looking rather confused, and slightly uncomfortable as Miri had coiled around him and was thoroughly tasting the waster in a rather obvious manner.  
“Miri. I know you are curious about humans, especially the sexuality of human males, and that's alright. But that does **not** mean its alright for you to molest poor Jackal here.”  
What Miri was doing was pretty much the merfolk equivalent of putting her hand down Jackal's pants and fondling his _equipment_.  
“She's not...”  
Jackal was about to defend Miri, trying to tell Takeshi that she wasn't really bothering him that much but Takeshi interrupted him.  
“The cultural equivalent to what she is doing would be putting her hand down your pants and playing with your junk.”  
The teasing tone and slightly crude choice of words paired with the fact that Miri hadn't stopped what she was doing caused Jackal's face to burn red and the slight shift in the flavor of the water made Miri back away and apologize for taking liberties.  
“It's okay, just, please don't do something like that again without explaining what it means, and asking for permission.”  
Jackal's soft soothing had a far greater effect on Miri than if he had gotten upset and scolded her.  


Seeing the way her fins drooped Takeshi found himself unable to resist coiling around them to soothe her, and while he did Wizard spoke up and offered Miri to help her study human males if it was okay with Takeshi.  
The feel of Wizard's aura and the flavor in the water told Takeshi that it was curiosity and a genuine desire to teach rather than sexual desire that made him make the offer, and Wizard's background in medical studies made him well suited for the task.  
“You should take him up on that offer Miri.”  
Takeshi gave her tail a gentle slap with his own to encourage her to move over and when she did Wizard almost dropped his regulator as Miri went all out seductress mode, playing on the old legends of mermaids singing ships aground.  
“Miri, remember, be careful of how you use your voice against those who can't resist you. You don't want to make them do things they might not really want to.”  
Though Takeshi could tell she wasn't using enough power in her song to have any real effect he did give her a bit of a reminder to be careful when dealing with regular humans as they did not have a natural resistance against such powers.  


The comment about her voice sparked another debate while they headed back to the surface, and up to the house to eat and talk more about the finer details of what their jobs would be under Takeshi.

 


	3. Designing a New World

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Designing a New World_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi had taken a seat in the shadow near the edge of the forest where a simple shooting range had been set up to allow the girls to practice their marksmanship under Wraith's watchful eye.  
Jenna was better with bows, and long range with rifles, but Wraith was a master with handguns, especially with the small, easily concealable guns such as the tiny Beretta she was currently showing Alice how to use.  
There was a dark reason for Wraith's skill set though, a reason she had told him merely a few days ago and he was still struggling with suppressing his rage.  
As a child she had been recruited by Mossad and trained to be an assassin, at first using her youth, that no one would suspect an innocent looking child to be a killer, then as she got older her work had shifted toward using various honeytrap methods.  
She had still been a teen when she met Sonya and was convinced to defect, and the way Wraith had been treated after her defection was the trigger for Sonya cutting her ties and becoming a mercenary.

Takeshi was brought from his musings when he spotted Wizard surfacing and he waited for him to put the diving gear away before calling for him.  
“Wiz, a moment please.”  
Wizard huffed at the way Takeshi cut his call-sign in half rather than using his name, but didn't complain beyond that as Takeshi did have a point that they already had a _Dan_ who was commonly called _Danny_ and spirit whom everyone referred to as _Daniels_ , adding a Daniel to that could make things a bit messy.  
He had complained a bit at first, but when Jenna suggested calling him _Doc_ he quickly agreed to being called Wiz instead, his father had always been called Doc, and he would prefer not to be reminded of the wretch every time someone wanted his attention.  
“What's up?”  
“Come, join me.”  
Takeshi motioned for him to have a seat in the shade before offering him a bottle of water, diving had a way of making you dehydrated.  
“Thanks.”  
Takeshi waited for Wizard to drain the bottle before bringing up his reason for calling him over.  
“Sorcha just contacted me, she has spoken to her father and he has agreed to come visit to check on Jenna and the baby as well as teach us a bit about demon medicine and pregnancies. I would appreciate if you joined us as it would be good to have an additional person with some basic training in assessing a non-human pregnancy.”  
“Of course I'll be there. Is this just a precaution, or is there some reason for concern?”  
“It's mostly a precaution, but there is some concern for the birthing as we have been unable to tell if she will be born with wings, or if they will develop later.”  
“Wings?”  
“Yeah, remember, Jenna's true form is a sphinx, and our daughter will inherit her form, and blessed children are usually born in the beast form. Though, there is still a chance that she will change into a human form.”  
Since Jenna wasn't a regular blessed, but one capable of hybrid forms and her true form wasn't a regular animal, but a mythological creature they weren't entirely sure how her pregnancy would progress.  
The hope was that Sorcha's father would be able to more accurately assess the baby, and help teach them how to do it.  
“Yeah, even if we end up not needing it, it can help keep her calm. It's never good for a pregnant woman to stress and worry.”  
Wizard quickly caught on.  
“Indeed, this is why I intend to invite Red and Wraith as well. If we go for a natural birth rather than a c-section there is a risk that our instincts will rebel at having an unrelated male present during labor. Especially hers, it might cause her to try to hide, or hold back. Females has less of a risk to cause that.”  
Takeshi explained about the possible complications there could be if the child was winged, and told Wizard about their plans to deliver by c-section unless they were sure the child did not have wings.  
Wizard agreed with Takeshi that the risk for complications was probably very low, but that it would be best to aim for a c-section anyway, if only to help calm Jenna and keep her from worrying.

They continued to debate the matter for a while before Takeshi shifted the subject toward Wizard's promise to teach Miri about humans.  
“So, how are your lessons with Miri going?”  
“Great, she is a fast learner and very curious. But I think my asexuality has her rather frustrated.”  
“Who can blame her? A good looking male like yourself being completely of the market, it's such a shame.”  
Takeshi was only half joking, getting to know Wizard better during the past few weeks had triggered a certain curiosity about him, the fact that he was asexual had only made that curiosity stronger.  
“You really can't help yourself, can you? Always teasing and flirting.”  
“It's only part teasing though.”  
The reply caused a slight tint to creep up Wizard's face and he coughed slightly while trying to find an answer.  
“Daniel, if I'm making you uncomfortable, do tell me off. I have no intention of crossing any lines you chose to draw.”  
The use of his given name snapped Wizard out of his stupor and brought his focus back to the conversation.  
“No, it's fine. A waste of your time, but it doesn't bother me.”  
“It would only be a waste of time if it was only sex I was after.”  
Wizard was about to say something more but closed his mouth with an audible click before looking away from Takeshi, focusing on the girls' target practice and Takeshi did nothing to call his attention back, instead he settled for silently watching as well.

After watching the training for about half an hour Takeshi sighed to himself, he needed to get back to work.  
“One last thing Wiz, next time you can't sleep, please come join us at the house instead of hiding away with only the bottle for company.”  
“How did?”  
Wizard startled when Takeshi spoke up and was obviously surprised that Takeshi knew about his habit of drinking when the nightmares kept him from sleeping but after a few moments he hissed _Angel_ under his breath, figuring out that the vigilant AI knew what was happening on the Tiamat and alerted Takeshi.  
“She is concerned about your health so the broke her usual privacy protocols to bring her concern to me. And I agree with her concern, so please, don't hide away alone when your nightmares keeps you from sleeping.”  
“I don't want to impose or be a bother...”  
“You wouldn't. We need very little sleep so there is almost always someone awake at the house, and even if we would happen to be asleep we would not mind waking up to help you through a rough time, to help you fend off the nightmares.”  
“I have tried everything, nothing keeps them at bay for very long.”  
The total defeat in Wizard's voice made Takeshi's instincts stir but he managed to voice what at least sounded like an amused huff.  
“You have tried human methods, mortal methods. There are many more available in the realms of demons and magic. But that is a topic for later, maybe after dinner, right now I need to get back to work.”

With everything that was going on Takeshi had a lot of work to do, he needed to oversee the calibration of the generators, prepare a statement for the citizens of Hawaii and work with the US government to obtain the land in Miami.  
Acquiring some land in Tromsø had been easy though, the Norwegian government had been more than happy to give him one of the islands north of the city and after meeting with the inhabitants of the sparsely populated island Takeshi and the girls had agreed that they could remain on the island.  
In return they asked that they acted as caretakers for the home they would build there.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Designing a New World_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Ethan, it's good to hear your voice.”  
Takeshi had been slightly concerned when Ethan didn't answer the first few calls.  
“Likewise, sorry about the slow answer, I was out on the lake getting food.”  
“How have you guys been holding up?”  
“Were fine thanks to you sending us out here, Nelly misses her friends and the missus, well, let's just say she does not consider _off the grid_ to be living.”  
Ethan's words had Takeshi chuckling, Susan was indeed a woman who valued her comforts, even at the island she had complained constantly despite being housed in a fully climate controlled luxury yacht.  
She had whined about not being able to shower for hours every day, complained that there was no coffee-shops or salons to visit, she had even complained that she couldn't order takeout despite not needing to cook as Takeshi and the others took care of all that.  
He quite frankly found the woman to be rather unpleasant, she was demanding, vain and spoiled rotten, but since Ethan clearly loved her he would keep his dislike of her to himself.  
“I'm glad we managed to get you to safety in time. Things got pretty rough out there for a while, and it's still not what it used to be. But I would like you to come back to Hawaii anyway, I have a few small projects that I would like to hire you for.”  
“Now that sounds interesting, mind giving me a hint what you are up to this time?”  
“Nothing much, just a few things like a Miami estate with private beach bungalows for all the girls, a stargazing cabin in Tromsø, building a new Honolulu.”  
“A few small projects you say? Maniac...”  
“Caught your attention though, didn't I?”  
“Of course you did.”  
Ethan grumbled with a distinct tone of amusement, it had taken time, but he had overcome his apprehension around Takeshi and the two had developed a solid friendship based on a mutual respect for each other's skills.  
Takeshi could hear Susan complaining in the background though, telling Ethan that she refused to be cooped up with _those people_ and that being stuck in the small retreat where they currently lived had been bad enough.  
She continued to rant about how at the retreat there was at least a few normal people she could talk to, referring to the staff of the Ghost Shelter that had been evacuated to the same location.

“She is more than welcome to stay in a hotel in Honolulu if she doesn't wish to join us at the island.”  
Though he tried Takeshi couldn't keep the slightly annoyed edge from his voice and Ethan's soft sigh made it clear that he had noticed but he didn't say anything, instead he told Susan that they would be able to use the penthouse in Honolulu.  
“I'm sorry about that. I don't know why she is so hostile toward you guys.”  
“Pay it no mind.”  
While he spoke Takeshi could hear Nelly in the background begging Ethan to come with him to the island instead of staying in Honolulu with her mother and it made Takeshi smile, the girl had always enjoyed her visits and he was sure she would love swimming with Miri in the lagoon.  
And maybe the presence of a human teen would work to draw out Arc and her pups from hiding, he really wanted to introduce them to Red and the others but she had been hiding away, only coming in at night to allow him to check on the pups, and only if it was him and Dan only.  
“You tell Nel that she is always welcome to come visit us.”  
“Why don't you tell her yourself.”

Moments later Nelly's happy voice was heard over the sat-phone that Takeshi had given Ethan to make sure they could stay in contact.  
“Take-san!”  
Nelly was eager to show him how much Japanese she had managed to learn and Takeshi praised her diligence while also correcting her mistakes and giving her a few tips what to focus on.  
“So, I hear you are looking forward to visiting us again?”  
“You promised you would teach me how bow-fish.”  
“Indeed I did, I also told you that I wouldn't do it unless you get permission.”  
“But mom hates you guys, there's no way she will agree.”  
“Well good thing then that I don't really care about her opinion as long as your father gives his permission.”  
There was a moment of silence then Takeshi heard Nelly explain to Ethan what he had said.  
_“Daddy, can I?”  
“Of course, just don't let your mom know. She would skin me alive if she finds out I allowed it.”  
_The happy squeal that followed made Takeshi very glad that his com-implant had a fixed volume.  
“Oops, sorry. I didn't hurt your ears, did I?”  
“It's fine, I'm using the implant and it only has one volume”  
“Phew, good.”  
“Now, if you are going to stay here you will have to decide where you wanna live, the Tiamat where you usually stay is occupied and the Leviathan is out sailing with a group of Ghost Children to keep them safe.”  
“Aw, I wanted to see the Leviathan...”  
Ethan and his family had last visited shortly before the completion of the Leviathan and Nelly had been eager to see it.  
“Don't worry, if I have any sway in the matter you will have plenty of opportunities to see it.”  
So what options are there?”  
“You can stay with us at the house, in the _Spirit_ , or in Logan's beach house.”  
“The Spirit is the smaller boat we used when fishing for those red fishes, right?”  
“That's right. Didn't think you would remember that, you were just a little squirt back then.”  
“Of course I remember. Mom didn't want to go so Emmy took the opportunity to take me flying.”  
Nelly quickly launched into an a mile a minute recount of what she remembered from her earlier visits to the island so Takeshi returned to working on his bonsai while listening to her eager chatter.  
Unraveling the sometimes rather cryptic stream of words Takeshi was able to figure out why Nelly was so talkative, her mother had not allowed her to be around the ghost children so the highly social teen was not just bored out of her mind but feeling very lonely.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_ Designing a New World_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Take!”  
Takeshi had barely set the Blackout down when Nelly rushed over and waited eagerly by the door and when it opened she darted inside and threw herself around his neck.  
“Ouch. Hello to you too Nel.”  
Takeshi's mock complaint made her huff at him, but her answer was cut short when he gave her a kiss on the forehead as his habit was and her reaction and scent told him she was in the same maturity stage as Amber, it would seem things might become quite interesting around the island.  
“Hi Dan!”  
The moment she recovered Dan was greeted with a warm, but not quite as enthusiastic hug.  
“Who are you?”  
She turned to Jackal with a slightly confused look.  
“I'm Jackal, nice to meet you Nelly.”  
He offered his hand in greeting but before she had a chance to take it her mother's annoyed calls were heard from outside telling her to stop bothering them and come get her bags.  
Jackal's slight frown as she darted outside revealed that he disapproved of the way her mother spoke to her.  
“Charming lady...”  
Takeshi allowed his aura to brush against Jackal's to show his gratitude that Jackal remained silent until Nelly had gone outside.  
“Play nice please. For some reason Ethan loves her so let's not cause any undue discord.”  
“Don't worry, I have no intention of upsetting your friends. But honestly, I'm glad she chose to stay in Honolulu.”  
“Believe me, we all are.”  
Dan quipped before Takeshi had a chance to answer, earning him a flash of fangs and a slightly frustrated growl, stress was making Takeshi's demonic instincts more prominent, especially those pertaining to pack behavior, elevating his alpha traits.  
After helping Ethan and his family get their bags into the cargo area of the Blackout they headed back to the cockpit to get moving, but when Nelly took a seat next to Jackal in the first pair of seats behind the pilot and co-pilot seats Susan called her out on it.  
“Nelly, I'm sure they don't want to listen to your inane chattering the entire time so go sit in the back and don't disturb them.”  
Her scent shifted into disappointment and a hint of sadness, causing a ripple of annoyance through the auras of the trio, the scent quickly shifted back to happy though as Jackal snuck her one of the small flex-pads that were linked to Angel as she moved past him.  
The flight was spent with a hushed conversation between Takeshi and Dan in Urui and Jackal occasionally offering a comment while Angel translated and transferred it all to the tab so that Nelly could participate by typing and Jackal could at least read what was being said in Urui.

When they landed at the airport in Honolulu there was another argument as Susan told Nelly to get her bags and get into the limousine that was waiting next to the private hangar and landing zone.  
“No! I'm not going to sit locket up in some boring old hotel for weeks, maybe even months when I can stay at the island!”  
“I'm sure they have better things to do than keeping an eye on you all day and your father needs to work, he can't watch you all the time.”  
Takeshi could tell that Nelly was about to object and tell her mother that she didn't need a babysitter to keep an eye on her around the clock, but her father beat her to it.  
Ethan intervened and reminded his wife that Takeshi and the others had already given their word that they would keep an eye on Nelly, and also reminded her that she had promised that Nelly could learn how to scuba-dive once she turned 15, and she could learn that for free at the island.  
She hesitated at first, but she gave in when Takeshi added that if Nelly showed that she could pass the basic PADI certification he would personally pay for her to be certified and give her a complete scuba gear as graduation gift of sorts.

It wasn't entirely true though, unless Nelly wanted to go through the actual certification process he would simply have Angel create the necessary database entries and have the card delivered to Mandrake along with any other mail for the residents of the island.  
At Mandrake the mail would be scanned by Angel to ensure it was safe, then it would be packed into a safety box and picked up by one of the many drones and brought out to the island.  
Angel controlled a small army of drones with a wide range of applications, from the small sensor-drones that were used for surveillance and security at all of Takeshi's properties to the large, heavy duty, octocopters capable of carrying payloads in excess of 250kg that was used for tasks such as delivering food and other necessities to the island.  
Unlike their predecessors all of the drones were fully electric, running on a hybrid system of solar cells and generators based on Sanctuary crystal tech allowing them superior power and near limitless range.

When they got back into the Blackout to head out to the island Nelly immediately headed back to the front row seat but before she had a chance to sit down Dan stole the seat, leaving the co-pilot seat open for her.  
“Really? I can sit there?”  
“Of course you can. Take doesn't need a co-pilot, even if something was to happen Angel can easily handle giving him any assistance he might need while we swap seats.”  
The happy squeal that followed had everyone wincing, including Ethan who quickly reminded his high spirited daughter about the sensitive ears of the island's residents.  
“Oops, sorry...”  
“Don't worry, but please try to remember, it can be quite painful.”  
It was a short flight, but Nelly was sitting on needles as Dan pointed to the various readouts on the co-pilot screens.

“So, have you guys decided where you want to stay?”  
Their bags had been placed at the side of the landing pad and they were watching the Blackout being taken underground by the lift-system.  
“I wanna stay in the boat! Please Dad?”  
“I need a proper office to work in, there's simply not enough room in that smaller boat for me to spread all my papers.”  
“Aww, please?”  
“I think you are old enough to stay at the boat on your own with Angel keeping an eye on you.”  
There was a brief moment of stillness before Nelly grasped what Ethan had said, then she exploded in joy, but this time she did manage to put her hands over her mouth and keep from making the entire island deaf.  
“I guess that settles it then. Dan, would you help Ethan get his bags and equipment to the house and set him up in the Sakura-room. I'll take Nelly and her things down to the Spirit.”  
The Sakura-room was a decently sized conference room and it had a partition at the end where they could put in a bed and other comforts and it had a full bathroom and a small kitchenette connected to it so Ethan would be able to keep his own hours and wouldn't be disturbed by the rest of them.  
They called it the Sakura-room because it housed the cherry tree and hummingbirds that the Mother had gifted Emelie with when they first came to the island.  
“Okay, will do.”  
Dan quickly roped Ylian into helping them carry all the bags that Ethan had while Takeshi snatched Jackal by the collar to help with Nelly's bags.

After bringing all the bags into the Spirit Takeshi showed Nelly how to drive the boat in case she wanted to move out into the lagoon for some privacy, while also setting up some rules together with Angel, and as he did he could feel Miri coming closer, trying to sneak up behind them.  
_“Miri, if you splash me I will be eating at the house instead of joining you to hunt for dinner.”_  
His silent words were followed by a rather loud splash and a string of curses in the Atlantis language as well as a shower of water that just barely missed him and instead soaked Nelly and Jackal as Miri had managed to use a bit of the sea singer power that she had been training with to make the water deviate slightly from its original path.  
It was just enough to keep from splashing Takeshi, but not enough to avoid hitting the others instead.  
Jackal just gave a huffing sigh and set to work on getting out of the now soaked clothes but Nelly spun around with wide eyes and stared at Miri.  
“Wait, you're not Manda?! Who **are** you?”  
“I'm Miri, who are you?”  
“I'm Nelly. Are you like Manda?”  
After the exchange of greetings Takeshi tuned them out in favor of giving Jackal a hand with his clothes, only occasionally helping Miri translate to and from English, something that made him determined to give Nelly a familiar of her own.  
He had also decided to talk to Ethan about offering them both the blessing, Susan however was not worthy, something that could cause some problems since he very much wanted Ethan to accept.  
“Miri, Nel, that's enough for now.”  
The twin _Aww please?_ made Takeshi smile and shake his head, it would seem the pair had hit it off even better than he had expected.  
“Don't worry, you two can create havoc all you want later. Right though now Nel needs to come with us up to the house so we can go through a few things with her father and her.”  
There was quite a bit of whining and complaining, but a slight warning growl and a sharp flare of aura had both of them silent in a moment and it pleased Takeshi to see that Nelly reacted by baring her neck to him as well which rewarded her with a softer growl, almost a purr, while Miri received a gentle brush of his aura.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_ Designing a New World_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Ethan, Nel, since you will be staying for a while this time I would like for you both to have familiars, it will make life here a lot more convenient.”  
They had spoken a lot about practical details, as well as rules for Nelly if she was to be allowed to stay on the boat on her own, for instance Ethan had insisted that she made sure to get back on track with her studies with Angel's help.  
“Really?!”  
Thankfully Takeshi was prepared for Nelly's reaction so he had suppressed his hearing, it still made him want to wince though.  
“Nelly, don't yell.”  
Ethan gave Takeshi an apologetic smile while scolding his daughter for not taking more care not to hurt their host's poor ears.  
“Sorry daddy...”  
“Don't apologize to me.”  
“Sorry Take!”  
He accepted her apology with a sigh, there would no doubt be plenty of relapses despite her promise to try to remember to keep her voice down.  
“I guess it's pretty obvious how little Nel here feels about it, how about you Ethan?”  
Nelly was bristling at being referred to as a child, but she wisely kept her silence.  
“I think I might just as well accept. I have a feeling you're not about to just take no for an answer this time around.”  
“Ah, excellent choice. I always knew you had a good head on those shoulders of yours.”  
Takeshi snickered at the rather crooked look Ethan gave him.  
“Come on, let's head to the sanctuary.”

After allowing Ethan and Nelly look around the sanctuary for a while Takeshi called them to the soul-tree and began the process of creating their familiars, starting with Ethan to allow Nelly to witness the process before it was her turn.  
When Ethan put his hand in the pitcher he quickly retrieved an egg and after triggering it to hatch a brilliantly colored weaver bird emerged and the sight of the boldly red, yellow and black bird made Nelly laugh.  
Takeshi found himself agreeing, the bird was an excellent match for Ethan as the weaver birds were known for their extraordinary skill as architects, he didn't recognize the coloring as an actual species of weaver bird though, but that was common with the familiars.  
After helping Ethan connect to the colorful passerine he turned to a somewhat nervous Nelly.

“Easy Nel, I promise the cut won't hurt much, the blade is so sharp you will barely feel it.”  
She only hesitated for a moment before holding out her hand so he could cut it and collect the blood in the pitcher plant, but when he licked the wound to seal it he almost groaned at the sharp spike of arousal that shifted through her scent.  
“Go ahead, get your familiar.”  
He watched Nelly put her hand into the pitcher and for a moment she looked a bit confused, then here eyes widened in surprise and a moment later something fast and furry darted up her arm and jumped to the soul-tree, climbed it and then jumped down onto her head.  
“It's a flying squirrel! How cute!”  
“Actually she is more like a demonic sugar glider.”  
Takeshi corrected her with an amused snort, the creature was called _Duzz_ in Urui and they were popular pets among demon children, they were known to be intensely loyal to whomever they bonded with and they could be quite fierce when protecting their chosen one.  
By demon standards it was a tiny creature, but they were insanely fast when they wanted to be, and they had venom-glands connected to claws, fangs and several spikes hidden within the long tail.  
Like the human realm sugar gliders they were marsupials, though omnivores they preferred a diet high in meat and could live well of a purely carnivorous diet.

“Wow, she changed color!”  
“They are prey animals in the demon-realm, small, and fairly weak so they have developed a number of defenses, things like their speed, strong venom, ability to glide and a very well developed chameleon ability.”  
“She's so pretty!”  
“Venom?”  
The very different reactions of Nelly and Ethan had Takeshi laughing before assuring Ethan that the little demon was just as safe as the living construct familiars as it was bonded to Nelly not just by the blood used to give it form, but also a deep spiritual bond that was specific for its species.  
He didn't mention the rest of his plans and hopes just yet though, if he had his way Ethan and Nelly would never have to worry much about toxins.  
When Nelly thanked him with a crushing hug his usual reaction to such things rewarded him with another waft of arousal on the air as he kissed her forehead and Ethan's soft chuckle told him that the architect had noticed his daughters reactions, and didn't seem to mind.  
_“I think we need to talk, in private.”_  
Takeshi nodded to Ethan's silent words, the familiar already proving its worth, but he couldn't help feeling a slight tingle of worry.  
Ethan may have smiled and laughed about Nelly's reaction to the kiss on the forehead, but he may still disapprove of anything beyond that and Takeshi found that he would very much like to be the _victim_ of Nelly's curiosity.  
Ethan didn't show any signs of disapproving of Takeshi's relationship with the girls, but that didn't mean he would be as accepting when it was his own daughter.  
He would however worry about that later, right now he would focus on getting father and daughter settled in, and the first step in that was to bring Nelly back to the lagoon to get acquainted with Miri.  
“So, Nel, think you are ready to go swim with a real mermaid?”  
The answering squeal made Ethan gently slap the back of Nelly's head to remind her not to be loud.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_ Designing a New World_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi sat back on the jetty together with Ethan, watching as Miri helped Nelly get used to the rebreather gear while sharing a bottle of saké.  
“We can speak privately here.”  
For a while Ethan didn't say anything, then he took a deep breath and released it with a sigh.  
“It would seem my sweet little girl has decided to have a crush on you.”  
“She is that age...”  
Takeshi agreed in a somewhat diplomatic manner and there was a moment of silence before he continued.  
“You are her father, and my friend. If you have any opinion about how you want this handled I will respect it.”  
Ethan took the saké bottle and refilled Takeshi's cup before answering him.  
“Take, I have learned to trust your judgment, to trust that you won't willingly hurt anyone you have invited into your circle.”  
Ethan's answer, or rather lack of actual answer, almost made Takeshi sigh.  
“That wasn't an answer.”  
“Oh, it was an answer alright, just not the one you were looking for.”  
“Ethan, please.”  
There was a hint of a frustrated growl in Takeshi's tone that made Ethan raise his hands in a placating gesture.  
“I know, I know, we have known each other far too long to play around, so no games.”  
“No games.”  
Takeshi agreed.  
“Answer me truthfully, do you want to pursue my daughter? Do you want to bed her if she invites you?”  
This time he did sigh before answering.  
“Yeah, I do.”  
“And beyond that, would you court her? Mate her?”  
Takeshi silently contemplated his sakazuki, slowly swirling the saké in the shallow cup before draining it with a sigh.  
“I honestly don't know. But I would very much like to find out. To get to know her, to watch her as she finds herself.”  
Takeshi startled slightly when Ethan suddenly started laughing and refilled the cup again.  
“In that case, you have my blessing. I know you will do right by her, that heart and honor of yours won't allow for anything else.”  
Takeshi huffed at Ethan's obvious amusement as he refilled his sake cup and offered a toast.  
“To honor, and perhaps one day, family.”  
Now it was Ethan's turn do make a crooked face and huff at Takeshi's teasing, but he rose to the toast anyway.  
“To honor and family, and to my wife never finding out lest she kills me.”  
“Indeed, it would be such a pain to have to find a new architect in the middle of everything.”  
That earned Takeshi a mock glare before Ethan broke down laughing again, and this time Takeshi joined him with his cup raised.

With the bottle of saké empty Takeshi excused himself to make good on his promise to hunt dinner with Miri, there were a few grumbled complaints from Ethan when he simply removed his clothes where he stood before silently slipping into the water.  
Miri was distracted with Nelly so Takeshi decided to see if he could sneak up on her and shifted to his naga form and focused on eliminating as much of his presence as he could.  
He moves slowly, allowing his form to blend with the shifting light and shadow of the bottom of the lagoon before stilling and forcing air into his lungs to increase buoyancy and slowly rise toward the surface and the unsuspecting females.  
When he brushed his hand along the underside of Miri's tail she bolted straight out of the water with a shriek that left his ears ringing before crashing down some 20 meters ahead where she instantly spun around and charged at him, and he had to admit that the impact of her shoulder against the gills at the side of his torso hurt like hell.

“Easy Miri, it's just me.”  
Takeshi coughed and wheezed a bit from the solid hit to the most sensitive area of his current form, Miri's powerful tail allowed her to reach some pretty impressive ramming power when she put her mind to it, or like in this case, was startled or scared.  
When she charged at him again he twisted his serpentine body out of the way and coiled around her, the flavor of the water quickly made it obvious that she had gone into battle-trance so he held her tightly and kissed her to snap her out of it.  
They had suspected that Miri was capable of the berserk like frenzy but it was the first time he had actually been able to trigger it though it had not been his intent to do so.  
“Ssh, I'm sorry Miri. I didn't mean to scare you that bad.”  
While the soft kisses calmed Miri down Takeshi noticed a new flavor in the water, desire, and a hint of envy, coming from Nelly.  
It wasn't the off-taste of jealousy, it was more of a longing, a desire to find out what it would be like to be in Miri's position.  
He knew that Miri had taught Nelly a bit about merfolk, about their senses so he slowly swam up to her and made a bit of a show of sucking in the water around her and tasting it carefully, allowing his gill-covers to flare noticeably.  
He could feel Miri's amusement over their bonds, but she didn't show any outward reaction to alert Nelly to the fact that in merfolk terms he looked rather like a bumbling drunk desperately trying to pick up a one-night-stand at the bar 5 minutes before closing.  
He could feel that she understood what he was doing though, he was being overly clear to allow Nelly to understand what he was doing, in part to entice her, and in part to allow her to reject him if she was uncomfortable with his actions.

“Nel, I know you want to come help catch dinner, but the area where we catch our seafood is too deep, too dangerous for an inexperienced diver. But I promise you can join us another time after you have had a chance to gain some experience. You can still help out though.”  
Nelly grumbled a bit, but when Takeshi told her she could help them hunt without diving she was more than happy to do what she could.  
“Good. You will follow us in the Helios and keep an eye out for the floaters that bring out catch to the surface, collect them and put the contents of the net bags into the various storage containers on board.”  
“But, I don't know how to drive a boat...”  
“Don't worry. Angel will handle the driving and navigation, as well as tell you where to look for the floaters, you just need to hook them and pull them on board, or if they are too heavy, hook them onto one of the davits and Angel can help pull them up.”  
He didn't mention that Angel could use the davits to scoop up the floaters herself as he wanted Nelly to feel like she was doing something useful, to feel needed.

During their talk on the jetty Ethan had voiced concerns about Nelly's psychological development.  
Susan had been quite adamant about being a stay-at-home mom, insisting that Nelly would not be put in daycare or be in the care of babysitters or nannies, so Ethan had put in extra effort in his work to make sure their finances were properly maintained.  
Takeshi had paid Ethan well for the work done for him, money that had been spent on a good house and setting aside money for Nelly's education, but Susan was good at spending money, and Ethan was too nice to say no to her.  
In the end Ethan worked long hours leaving Nelly to be raised mainly by her mother and Susan would constantly coddle the girl, never allowing her to fail and try again on her own, instead she would step in and do everything herself if Nelly didn't succeed right away.  
Not being allowed to conquer difficult tasks on her own or overcome failure had left her insecure about her own abilities, and when she got older she was placed in a boarding school of somewhat questionable reputation, it was very popular among the rich because of it's record of never having a student fail.  
But a closer inspection would have revealed that it was not because the quality of their teaching, but because they made it easy for their students, again placing Nelly in an environment where she wasn't allowed to fail and learn to overcome failure.  
But much to Takeshi's relief she had taken after her father's personality, despite her mother spoiling and coddling her she had not turned into an entitled brat.  
Instead she was unassuming and mostly soft spoken, apart from when excitement made her release squeals that would have made a banshee green with envy.  
The fact that she had challenged her mother and demanded to be allowed to stay at the island was a good sign though, she knew from her previous visits that everyone pitched in and helped with the various chores and that it was only her mother that had kept her out of it before.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_ Designing a New World_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Daddy, can I come in a moment?”  
Nelly's soft call from the door made both Takeshi and Ethan look up from the sketch that Ethan was working on.  
“Of course, come on in.”  
“Oh. Hi Take.”  
“Hi Nel, how is target practice going?”  
“Jenna says I'm doing better...”  
There was a hesitant note in her voice that made Takeshi want to reassure her.  
“If Jenna says so then you are doing really good, she is a very picky archer and a harsh teacher.”  
The praise made her blush slightly and turn to her father, unsure how to handle what she knew was not just empty words.  
“Daddy, could I go see mom this weekend?”  
“Of course sweetie. Any special reason, or do you just miss mom?”  
During the past month, life on the island had allowed Nelly to bloom and develop a bit more confidence in her abilities and she had shown no signs of wanting to leave but now she was reverting slightly, wringing her hands in a show of insecurity.  
“Nelly? Is something wrong?”  
Takeshi silently watched as Ethan tried to soothe his daughter and after a while she spoke up with barely a whisper.  
“One of my nails broke and keeps getting caught in everything so I need to get it redone.”  
Takeshi had noticed that Nelly was wearing acrylic nails in a short _natural_ style but he didn't think more of it as Susan had worked as a nail technician when Ethan met her and she had taken several extra courses over the years to stay on top of new techniques and materials despite not actively working with it anymore.  
“Nel, may I have a look at it? I used to help Sumi-ane with her nails all the time when she damaged them during training. Maybe I can fix it so it won't catch or be annoying until you can get it repaired properly.”  
“Okay...”  
“Ethan, why don't you have Angel help you make a full rendering of the plans so far along with rendering of the topographic and geological surveys of Honolulu and the surrounding area? That might make it easier to get a feel for how to put it all together.”  
“Yeah, I think I might need that. Working with such big scale stuff is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”  
Leaving Ethan in Angel's capable care Takeshi motioned for Nelly to come with him to the garden.

“That definitely needs to be fixed, must have hurt quite a bit when it broke.”  
“Not too bad, I think it might have been a bit loose already, I usually need to have them done about once a month, but I thought it would just fall off like it usually does, not break like this.”  
“Well, you usually don't work this much with your hands so it's not so strange. And you have been spending a lot of time in the water.”  
Lifting her hands closer to his face he took a careful sniff and as he suspected there was a faint scent telling him that she had an early stage of infection there that needed to be treated to prevent an outbreak.  
“If it's okay with you I would like to remove all of your acrylics and treat your nails to make sure you don't get an infection. I can apply new nails after treating them if you want to, then you can decide later if you want to have your mother do them like you are used to, or maybe go to a salon and have them done. Angel tells me GinTsume in Ginza is popular.”  
“They are. They are also the best in the world on bio-metal nails and insanely expensive! I can't even afford their polishes, much less an actual appointment.”  
“Nel, there is one thing you need to learn about me. If I invite you to go for a meal, or go shopping or offer to take you to a salon you only need to think about getting whatever you like and not think about any price-tags.”  
Nelly's wide eyed look made Takeshi laugh before tapping her hand to bring her attention back to what they were doing.  
“So, what do you say? Can I remove them, treat your natural nails and apply a new set to see how you like them?”  
“I guess...”  
“Nel, you don't have to if you feel uncomfortable with it. I can just file this one down so it won't catch on anything them we can have them fixed later.”  
“No, it's okay. Just, mom will complain that I let someone else do my nails.”  
“Nel, I don't want to get you in trouble with your mother.”  
“No. It's okay. It's my nails after all.”  
For a moment it had seemed like she would reject his offer, but in the end she decided to let him take care of her nails.  
“Angel, could you give me a detailed analysis of the acrylic compound and what would be the most suitable solvent to use. I don't want to use anything harsher than absolutely needed.”

Since Takeshi didn't have the actual chemicals or equipment used by the nail salons he would have to improvise and use his abilities along with Sanctuary crystals to create what he needed.  
After a few moments Angel projected a chemical compound that would be suitable to remove the acrylic and Takeshi used Sanctuary crystals to manipulate matter into the form needed.  
While Nelly soaked her nails in the compound Takeshi set about to create the tools needed .  
“Nel, do you want me to recreate the same acrylic compound your current nails are made from, or may I use another material?”  
“Oh, I don't care. Use whatever you think is best.”  
Receiving the answer he was hoping for Takeshi started to gently clean her natural nails before telling her to soak her fingertips in another bowl, this time with a liquid that held antiseptic and antifungal properties to make sure that slight infection would heal out and not get any worse.  
After another wash to remove the residue he patted her hands dry and began shaping her natural nail with files made from sanctuary crystal.  
But feeling how soft and thin her nails were had him a bit concerned, it seemed her nails were naturally somewhat weak, and the constant treatments hadn't done her any favors.

“Your nails are rather weak, I would really like to try to do something about that if you think you can stand the treatment.”  
“Oh, treat it how?”  
“I would like to treat them with a small amount of my blood, it should stimulate them to grow stronger.”  
She looked a bit hesitant, but nodded for him to go ahead so he shaped a small cup from one of the crystals and with a quick cut he added a few drops of his blood to it before dipping a brush into it and painting it on her nails and cuticles.  
“Wow, it just disappeared.”  
“It will take some time, but as your nails grow the new growth should be stronger. But I would like to add a few things to your diet as well to make sure they grow nice and healthy.”  
Another nod told him she would accept his suggestions.  
“I'm going to use these sanctuary crystals to create your new nails. They will bond with your natural nail without causing any damage, and as the nail grows the crystal will grow and change as well so there won't be any need for repeat treatments until your natural nails start to grow longer than the application.”  
Nelly watched with avid curiosity as Takeshi took one of the crystals and shaped it into what looked like a false nail before placing it against her natural nail where it glowed slightly as he held it down.  
When the glow stopped he let go and moved on to the next nail and before long he had done all of them.

“How do they feel?”  
“Feels a bit odd, they are longer but lighter.”  
“I can adjust them so they feel the same if you want me to.”  
“No it's fine, Maybe just a bit shorter so they don't get in the way.”  
After adjusting the length Takeshi asked her if she wanted any special design on her nails.  
“Oh, can you make them galaxy nails? Mom refuses to do dark designs.”  
“Angel, could you give me a few images to go on please?”  
“Of course.”  
Moments later a large number of pictures were displayed to let Nelly pick the ones she liked, then Angel combined them into brand new patterns to pick from.”  
“Oh that one! The one that looks like a purple nebula.”  
Angel instantly shifted the display to show a number of photos of purple nebulae and Nelly quickly picked her favorites and Takeshi focused on the crystals to alter their colors to match the selected images.  
“Awesome! They look amazing!”  
“Glad you like them, now run along and find Jenna, tell her to have you try out a few more models of finger tabs. I think you need a bit more padding until your body gets used to the pressure.”  
“Okay!”  
Nelly got up to leave, then seemed to hesitate for a moment before leaning inn and thanking Takeshi with a pretty solid smooch that left him grinning widely and licking his lips as she darted away while doing a rather impressive impression of a stop light.

“So, what does she taste like?”  
Ylian's question made Takeshi jump slightly, he had been too focused on the flavor to notice the shadeling's approach.  
“Happiness and curiosity.”  
“That's a good flavor.”  
“Indeed it is.”  
Takeshi hummed in agreement.  
“Just wish she had the flavor of maturity as well.”  
He added after a moment which made Ylian laugh at him.  
“It will come dear mate, and I have no doubt she will be eager for the Arashiri and your guidance when she is ready.”  
Ylian's teasing tone was rewarded with a flash of fangs before Takeshi pounced and claimed his mate.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_ Designing a New World_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Yami, come here boy!”  
Takeshi's call was answered by a happy yip followed by a loud crash as the excited pup knocked over a chair in his hurry to get to Takeshi.  
At 3 months old Yami was mostly an uncoordinated mess of limbs and fur, it would be a few more months before he grew into his body and another year or so before he filled out with muscle to match the long legs.  
It was already obvious that he would grow into a real giant, significantly larger than a normal gray wolf, and a few sizes above the blessed wolves as well and Takeshi was convinced he would be just as large as his own wolf form.  
The shadow Beast seemed to be mostly dormant though, Yami was obviously highly intelligent, but was acting every bit like a normal pup would, playful, energetic, and prone to get into all kinds of trouble.  
Only yesterday the curious little rascal had somehow managed to get onto the roof and was making quite a pitiful image as he sat on the edge of the roof crying for help when he couldn't get down the same way he got up and was too afraid to jump into the pile of pillows below.  
Fortunately he was far more resilient than a normal pup so they didn't need to worry about him getting hurt from falling or jumping from the various spots he managed to scramble up on in his insatiable curiosity.  
“Here you go you little hellion.”  
Takeshi gave Yami a treat in the form of a small piece of dried meat, just like with any mortal pup treats was an effective way to reinforce desired behavior and strengthen bonds.  
With the pup's attention on himself Takeshi grabbed the large leather bag and swung it onto his back before heading through the house and down toward the lagoon where is House and Pack, his family, were waiting.  
It was time for the annual shopping spree, this year they would go to Ginza as Japan had not suffered as much from the global blackout, the power had only been offline for a day due to the agreement they already had with Kasumi.  
Japan had also been at the leading edge of powercell technology to they were not so dependent on the powerproduction that had been destroyed, sparing them most of the problems.  
The trip had been delayed a bit since Takeshi needed to work with Ethan to complete the plans for Hawaii, but now that they were done they had decided to take a break, then break the news to the citizens after they returned.  
Part of the reason was that they wanted to get their little trip done before Jenna was too far along to feel safe traveling, they estimated she had roughly two months to go.

“Nel, where are your bags?”  
“What? But... Dad said we would leave tomorrow and stay with mom while you guys go to Ginza.”  
Nelly's totally bewildered look made Takeshi snicker at her and he could hear a similar reaction from Ethan.  
“Nelly dear, I said I would go to Honolulu, I never said you had to come with me.”  
She instantly turned to Takeshi with a hint of hesitation.  
“You didn't think I would take everyone shopping and not invite you to join us, did you?”  
The teasing earned them a rather impressive growl as Nelly nailed them both with a wilting glare.  
“Mom was right, you are a **horrible** influence!”  
Takeshi just flashed her a wide smile and she turned her back on them with an annoyed huff.  
“You don't have to go with them to Ginza if you don't want to, you can come with me and spend the time in Honolulu with your mother.”  
“Nonononono, I'm packing, I'm packing! Don't go! I'll be right back!”  
In her hurry to get to the Spirit she tripped over her own feet and it was only Hugin's quick reflexes and large wing that saved her from falling off the jetty and into the water.  
“T-th-thanks...”  
The blushing and stutter as she mumbled muffled words of gratitude while desperately clinging to the black feathers was the last drop and everyone broke down into laughter which made Nelly accuse them all of being mean, but her aura and scent was bubbling with joy.  
“Thanks for bringing her along, she really needs to feel fully included, feel like she has friends and is apart of something.”  
“Don't worry about it Ethan, you just focus on taking care of that wife of yours. I'm sure she misses you.”  
Takeshi's slightly teasing tone made Ethan frown at him.  
“I mean it Take.”  
“I know you do.”  
Before Takeshi had a chance to say anything else they were interrupted by a somewhat sheepish Nelly asking how much she should pack.  
“Pack enough for a week, a few changes of swimwear and at least one set of warmer clothing. You don't need to pack any soap or shampoo, since the Leviathan uses a closed system for water you will have to use the same stuff as the rest of us.”  
“Okay!”  
She instantly vanished back inside the Spirit and a few minutes later she re-emerged dragging a suitcase which Takeshi quickly grabbed and added to the rest of the luggage in the tender before asking Angel to bring it out to the Leviathan where the crew would bring its cargo on board.

While they waited for the tender to return for them they took the time to say their goodbyes to the ones that would stay behind.  
Takeshi was bringing almost everyone, out off the ones of his house or under his protection, only Miri, Arc and the pups as well as Aellai and her daughters would stay behind, Sonya and her unit would stay as well and help protect their home.  
“Marakell, Wizard, I trust the two of you will look after Miri, and please, make sure she doesn't gorge herself on stuff like bread and pasta, and if Arc comes around, do the same for her and the pups.”  
“Don't worry.”  
Both males assured Takeshi that they would make sure the merfolk population of the island didn't eat things that didn't agree with them, no matter how much they enjoyed the taste.  
Takeshi knew that Marakell would, but he still included him for both his and Wizard's sake.  
A sign of trust for Wizard, and inclusion for Marakell.

Turning to Jackal Takeshi paid his lover some extra attention, reinforcing the bonds that they had been slowly building since Jackal and the others arrived at the island, a bond that Takeshi hoped would eventually lead to a courting, and a mating.  
The touches and kisses were soft, sweet, but there was a powerful undercurrent of longing and desire that leaked into Takeshi's bond with his pack and house, causing them to snicker and tease.  
But while they teased they also flooded the bond with approval and a sense of anticipation, they were all looking forward to the possibility of adding Jackal to their group, even Dan projected the same sense, though with a slight undercurrent of trepidation and possessiveness that they were all used to by now.  
Takeshi could feel when Ylian wrapped themselves around Dan's aura, gently soothing his worries and reminding him on a more primal level just how important he was to the group, reminding him he was mate and chosen beta of their beloved alpha.

After saying their goodbyes they all boarded the tender and headed toward the back of the island where the Leviathan was docked, she had returned a week ago for inspection and to take on additional supplies.  
After the attempted attack they had decided that she would not remain stationary, instead they kept her moving, making use of the Sanctuary shielding to minimize the risk of anyone noticing her.

“Wow! She's huge! Almost like a cruise ship.”  
It was the first time for Nelly seeing the Leviathan and her reaction was expected, but it didn't stop the group from snickering in good humor.  
“She is a bit small for a cruise ship don't you think?”  
Jenna's gentle teasing made Nelly blush a bit, the Leviathan was indeed large, but not quite so large.  
“I think she looks just right though. Big enough to be roomy and give some privacy, but small enough to still be nice and cozy.”

Most modern cruise ships where quite a bit larger, even the smaller ones usually had a LOA of roughly 200 meters and while the Leviathan was large for a private vessel with her 125 meters she was still small compared to the giants of the seas.  
The giants were the luxury ships that cruised the Caribbean, with an average LOA of 350 to 450 meters and a passenger capacity of roughly 6000 guests in some 3000 staterooms they dwarfed the Leviathan.  
But even they were dwarfed by the _Goddess of the Seven Seas,_ a veritable floating city who roamed around the world, home to some of the wealthiest people in existence and a massive workforce to see to their every comfort, with a LOA of over 1 kilometer she was in a class of her own.

Pulling up alongside the Leviathan as they traveled toward the stern and the combined boarding area and swim platform gave an excellent feel for just how large she was and Nelly chattered on about it with great enthusiasm.  
As expected Joshua was waiting for them at the platform to offer any assistance they might need, something that Jenna was grateful for as her pregnancy left her somewhat off balance.  
“Thanks Josh.”  
“You're welcome ma'am.”  
“Josh, how many times will I have to remind you to call me Jenna?”  
“At least once more ma'am.”  
The familiar exchange had everyone smiling, though Nelly was obviously somewhat confused, but her confusion was quickly replaced by a startled yelp as Takeshi grabbed her and jumped from the tender to the Leviathan.  
“Come on, let's find you a room with a view shall we?”  
Of course all the main cabins were quite luxurious with full size windows and a balcony, they were smaller than the luxurious suits on cruise ships though as they were mostly intended to be a place to slip away to if you wished for some privacy.  
Each cabin was divided into 3 parts, a small sitting area with a simple combined bar and kitchen, an ensuite bathroom and a large sleeping area dominated by a very large bed, roughly the size of a Texas king-size.

Carefully placing his hand at the small of her back Takeshi nudged Nelly toward the stairs and he couldn't help a slight smirk at the way she tensed when his claws pricked at her skin, a smirk that widened when he picked up a slight hint of warm spice creeping through her normally sweet and slightly fruity scent.  
That fruity sweetness was the scent of her innocence and it was slowly shifting into a warm, spicy scent with a hint of musk, wood and gardenia, a rare scent for a human, especially female.  
The warm and spicy combination of musk and wood was usually a fairly masculine scent, but the edge of gardenia softened it and gave it a more feminine touch and Takeshi found himself hoping that the new scent would fully replace her currently fruity scent.

“So, port or starboard?”  
“Does it matter?”  
“Not really.”  
The cabins were nearly identical, the main difference would be that port side would be getting more direct sunlight on the way there and less on the way home, but that wouldn't affect interior climate, and the blackout function on the windows would allow full control of how much light was allowed inside.  
“Guess I might as well take this one then, it's the closest to the stairs.”  
“Angel, register primary access to this cabin to Nel and inform Josh where to bring her luggage please.”  
“Of course. Nelly, would you like to select projections now or later?”  
“Projections?”  
“I will show her.”  
Takeshi interrupted before Angel could answer her and opened the door to show her inside.  
The inside of the cabin the bright white walls gave a sharp contrast against the dark wood furniture.  
“Angel, how about you give us a nice sunset projection?”  
“Right away.”  
A moment later the bright white walls swirled with color and they found themselves looking at a tropical beach in sunset.  
“Okay, that's cool. Angel, can you use my desktop folder for images?”  
“Of course.”  
The sunset was replaced by projections of various stellar phenomena that made Nelly coo with delight.  
“If you want some plants have a word with Em and she will help you select some suitable ones and help you grow them.”  
They were standing by the large windows and Takeshi gently pinned Nelly between his body and crystal glass which earned him a soft gasp as she leaned back into him.  
“Your scent is changing.”  
A flicker of anticipation and excitement surged through her aura and added a slight ozone tang to her scent making her smell like a lush, exotic garden after a thunderstorm.  
“So, soon then?”  
“Soon, but not before we return from our little shopping trip. We want to make sure we have plenty of time.”  
Takeshi had already spoken to her about her crush on him, explained to her about the Arashiri, and that he was more than willing to be her Guide if she chose to go through it and she had been adamant that she wanted to.  
Just like Amber she was willing, but not yet ready and Takeshi insisted that they wait until absolutely certain that she was ready, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease her a bit, some touching, some kissing, some teasing words.

 


	4. Gardenia & Thunderstorms

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Gardenia & Thunderstorms_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

When Takeshi and Nelly returned to the common area they were greeted by teasing snickers and accusations of being unable to keep their hands of each-other.  
By now Nelly was used to the fact that they always knew though so she just grumbled at them, or teased back, depending on the mood.  
At first she had been somewhat distraught though until Takeshi explained that his pack, his mates, were attuned to his emotions, to his reactions, through the bonds, letting them know whenever he was aroused, or felt strong desire.  
Of course the bonds also gave them a sense for other things, such as fear, pain or anger, a sense that allowed them to better protect each other and prevent strife within a pack, or within a group mating.  
“Okay, down guys. Give the poor girl some breathing-room.”  
Takeshi knew they wouldn't push things too far, but stepping up and acting as a guardian to her soothed his own instincts, proving one's ability to protect a potential mate was a part of the courting for many demonic species.  
The others responded to him in a very demon way as they backed away and bared their throats to him, only for a brief moment though before they came closer again, this time without teasing, there was a hint of curiosity though as the slightly altered scent still clung to them.  
“Your scent is becoming quite interesting.”  
Ylian was the first one to comment on it while leaning in to try to get a better sniff at her, but the source of the scent was gone and the traces were quickly fading.  
“Indeed it is, I have a feeling she will have a lovely scent once she has matured.”  
Everyone could tell Takeshi was still influenced by his instincts though as he pulled Nelly closer in a rather possessive manner and there was a hint of a growl in his voice that made Ylian raise their hands in a placating motion and take a step back with a smile while schooling their aura into a more submissive pattern..

“You people are insane, you know that right?”  
Nelly's huff brought on a new round of teasing snickers and knowing smiles  
“Indeed we are, but you like us anyway, don't you?”  
“Unfortunately...”  
The grumbled reply made Takeshi laugh as well before leaning in and giving her ear a gentle nip.  
“Now, how about we sit down and talk about our little shopping spree? We have our own favorites, but maybe there is something you would like to add?”  
“Akihabara!”  
Takeshi almost groaned, he suspected she would want to go to Akihabara, Nelly loved collectible figurines, fortunately there should be slightly less tourists there in the aftermath of the war.  
“Ah, Otaku central, I haven't been there for a very long time. I assume you want to visit the figurine shops?”  
“Yeah, i would love to take a look at all their stuff.”  
“And don't worry Nel, I will make sure you get a chance to take a few of them home.”  
The reminder that he would pay for everything made her blush a bit a mumble some unintelligible words of gratitude.

“Daddy, can we go to Akasuka for the Tori no Ichi?”  
The twins loved their festivals, but Takeshi was unsure of the exact dates.  
“Angel, which dates will the rooster days be this year?”  
The AI quickly listed the dates and much to Takeshi's relief, and the twins joy the first of the dates was indeed during their planned stay.  
“What is Tori no Ichi?”  
Nelly's question brought on a rather lively explanation from the twins, but Takeshi noted that there was a twinge of almost sorrow in Nelly's aura as they spoke of it, especially when they mentioned how they loved having an opportunity to wear their kimono.  
“Nel, do you want a kimono to wear for the festival?”  
“Really? I can have a kimono? A real kimono?”  
“Of course, if we order the fabric right now you can even pick any design you want.”  
“Isn't that very expensive?”  
“I told you didn't I? I don't want you worry about prices, only worry about what you want.”  
“I'll try... But no promises.”  
It wouldn't be as high quality silk as the kimono Takeshi usually ordered as the fabric printing method used didn't work on kumo-silk or demon-silk, but it was still high quality silk and he intended to order the same design in demon silk to give her at a later time.  
“Angel, would you bring up the interface for creating a kimono design please.”  
A set of holograms instantly flickered to life and after a brief adjustment the size of the displayed kimono was altered to Nelly's size, the demon-silk one would be ordered larger though to allow room for her to grow some more.

They started by having Angel show then a selection of basic designs before moving on to selecting colors and prints.  
“How am I supposed to pick from all these options? I don't know where to start...”  
Nelly was obviously overwhelmed by the diversity available and it was understandable, the new printing method was very similar to how pictures were printed using a color printer.  
There had been attempts to use such methods before, but the quality had not been satisfactory for the high end artisans, the new method however had quickly gained ground, though there were still those like the silk master Takumi who refused to use the new methods.  
If they managed to create a suitable design for Nelly Takeshi intended to order a demon-silk kimono with the selected design from Takumi and his assistants.  
“If I may, I can make a few suggestions.”  
After watching Nelly tear her hair for well over an hour without getting anywhere Takeshi decided to offer some help.  
“Please!”  
She threw her hands in the air and leaned back to watch Takeshi work.

He quickly set to work combining a few images on the displayed kimono, first he selected a sky blue to dark gray gradient as the base then along the bottom he added gardenia bushes littered with large white flowers.  
Over the shoulders and neck he added storm clouds that appeared to be lit from within, the final touch was lightning-bolts that crawled along the cloud and streaked down across the fabric.

“Gardenia and a thunderstorm? I like it, but, what does it mean?”  
“Remember what I told you about your scent?”  
“Yeah, you said I smell a bit like a bowl of fresh fruit.”  
Nelly had complained quite a bit when he described her scent, especially since her choice of body-wash and shampoo added the scent of warm vanilla and nut oils to her scent, making her smell a bit like a layered parfait, a mix of fruits and berries, sweet nuts and vanilla.  
“That's your immature scent. A person's scent changes slightly as they reach sexual maturity, especially in females once they shed their innocence. It's usually a subtle change where sweetness turns slightly spicy. But in rare cases it can change completely, and I think you are one of those rare cases.”  
“Let me guess, gardenias and thunderstorms?”  
“Indeed, the sweet and heady scent of night blooming gardenias, a subtle, but spicy, musk and the tingling freshness of a thunderstorm.”  
“Oh... Is that a good scent?”  
“It's a very good one. Why do you think Ylian approached us the way yi did?”  
“Is that why you growled at hi, oh, sorry, yi.”  
“Indeed, and your response was perfect.”  
The moment Takeshi had growled at Ylian she had pressed herself closer against him, there had been no hint of fear though, just Nelly seeking him out, trusting him, and showing favor toward him.  
The praise made her blush slightly but she was quickly distracted when Takeshi told her they needed to pick fabrics for the obi as well.  
She quickly settled for one of her nebula images and Takeshi decided that he would have a kimono made with a similar nebula design as the one the twins had, though with more of the deep purple hue's that Nelly loved.

“Angel, place the order please.”  
“Right away. Do wish to order some kanzashi at the same time?”  
“No, I will craft those myself.”  
Nelly's eyes widened at the mention of him crafting kanzashi for her, she clearly knew how valuable the hair ornaments could be, especially the hand crafted ones.  
“But, won't it be hard to use kanzashi with my short hair?”  
When Nelly and Ethan came to the island she had a short pixie cut, and though it had grown a bit her style was still very short.  
“Don't worry Nel, it's actually fairly popular among Japanese women to cut their hair short and wear a wig with their kimono instead.”  
As he spoke it became obvious that something was bothering Nelly.  
“You don't have to wear a long style if you don't want to. I can make a diadem style ornament that fits your pixie cut.”  
“Oh, no no, that's not... I was... Well..”  
“Nel, deep breath, then speak your mind.”  
He waited while she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.  
“Would it be possible to make my hair grow the same way you made my nails grow?”  
“Of course. I just thought you liked your pixie cut.”  
“Well, I do, kinda...”  
“Nel. Please, you don't have to hold back or hide anything from me.”  
“Promise you won't tell Dad? Please! Promise!”  
The strong urgency and undercurrent of fear had Takeshi confused, and it made him determined to find out what was causing such a reaction.  
“I promise. But please, will you tell me why?”  
“I don't want Mom and Dad to argue, and if Dad finds out he's gonna be upset with Mom...”  
“Don't worry, we won't tell him.”  
Everyone present promised her that they would keep her secret and gently urged her to tell them what was wrong.

“I don't keep my hair short because I like it, I do it because I don't really have much of an option.”  
The silence in the room was heavy as Nelly explained to them that Susan had demanded that she use her allowance to not only buy most of her clothes and recreational costs, but also that she pay for her hygiene products including hair care such as shampoo herself.  
Combined with demands that she save most of her allowance for _larger purchases,_ had left Nelly on a very tight budget so with Susan paying for one stylist appointment each month she had opted to get a short cut that was significantly cheaper to maintain than the long cuts.  
Takeshi could feel the undercurrent of anger that rippled through the aura of everyone present, fortunately Nelly didn't seem to notice.  
Ethan had made sure to give Nelly a large enough allowance to be able to handle such costs and have money left to have fun with, but Susan's demand that she save almost all of it and refusal to allow her to tap into the savings had left her little choice.  
“Nel, I promise you, you will never again need to worry about being able to afford keeping whatever hairstyle you like. Angel, set up an account for Nel, and make sure Susan can't touch it, or find out about it unless Nel tells her.”  
“Of course. Should I use one of the account templates or do you wish to make a custom account?”  
Everyone could hear a hint of steel in Angel's voice that revealed her disapproval and Takeshi quickly instructed her to use one of the templates that included an opening amount of $1.000.000, an amount that Takeshi would not reveal to Nelly just yet.

“Take? What are you doing?”  
”I'm creating an account for you to use, and I will be depositing money into it each month, the same amount as you allowance. You will get a card connected to the account, and Angel will make sure you have access to account balance updates.”  
“You really shouldn't be spending all this money on me...”  
“Why not? I have all the money I could ever need, spending this on you won't harm my finances, and it will make your life easier.”  
“But.. I haven't done anything to deserve this...”  
The mumbled complaint touched at the core of the issue, Nelly still felt that she was undeserving, that she wasn't worth anything and it caused a surge of concern to ripple through the bonds, concern and an undercurrent of anger.  
The others began moving closer, ready to show her that she mattered to them, to offer her whatever support she was ready to accept.  
“Nel, you don't need to do anything to earn this, you deserve it because I say so. But if it makes you feel any better you can consider it encouragement and aid for your studies, a means to be able to focus on your studies without concern. And earn it by putting your effort into your studies, be all that you can be.”  
When he pulled her into his arms to soothe her the others closed up around them, brushing their auras against them, and once Nelly had settled down a bit they reached out and touched her, gentle, soothing touches and Takeshi was pleased when she didn't reject the touches, even leaned into them a bit.  
He wasn't able to fully suppress the slight warning growl though when Ylian approached, the shadeling's previous show of interest in Nelly was setting off some rather possessive instincts but the way she instantly burrowed closer against him quickly silenced the warning.

They had spent several hours curled up in a big pile, just talking about everything and nothing when Nelly began yawning rather noticeably.  
“Nel, I think it's time for you to sleep.”  
“Mhm...”  
“Do you want to go back to your room, or would you like to join us in the den?”  
None of them needed to sleep yet, but if Nelly wanted to sleep with them in the den they would all retire and rest, they could keep talking silently to allow her to sleep undisturbed and if anyone felt like indulging in something more intimate they would simply either just keep it quiet, or slip away to one of the cabins.  
“I don't want to move... Comfy... Den?”  
The sluggish mumble was a good indicator that she was nearly asleep already and would probably not understand much of what was said, but Takeshi explained anyway.  
“We usually all sleep together, a bit like how we are lounging now, just closer, more touching.”  
“Mhm...”  
Nelly just snuggled closer and seemed quite content to sleep right where she was so it was quickly decided that they would all just sleep in the common area instead of retreating to the den.

“ _She adapts well to our ways.”_  
Ylian kept a slight distance in order to not set off Takeshi's instincts when Nelly was not awake to respond to it and soothe him.  
 _“So far at least. She is craving the closeness and support of a pack even if she doesn't fully understand it yet.”_  
The silent conversation continued through the night, debating what they should do about the current situation.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Gardenia & Thunderstorms_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi could feel that Nelly was beginning to wake up so he carefully nudged Hugin who was sleeping curled against her back to make him move slightly and give her some room, he didn't want her to wake up and panic.  
Black eyes blinked slowly at him in question before Hugin realized why Takeshi had woken him up and he began to carefully move back a bit so he wasn't pressed against Nelly, but before he was able to fully detach himself he paused with an amused chirp.  
When he tried to fold back his wing that had been draped across Takeshi and Nelly she had grabbed a handful of feathers and tugged the wing back over herself as if it had been a duvet.  
 _“I have heard some humans enjoy feather duvets, but his is silly.”_  
The silent complain caused a surge of amusement to travel through the bonds from those who were actually awake, it was mixed with curiosity and anticipation, eagerly waiting to see what Nelly's reaction would be once she woke and realized how she was using Hugin's wing.

“Good morning Nel. Did you sleep well?”  
Takeshi waited until he could feel that Nelly was awake before speaking up and he was rewarded with a slight groan, Nelly was not a morning person.  
“Why do you have to be so damned chipper?”  
“Remember, we need very little sleep.”  
She grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like _Lucky Bastards_ before trying to burrow further into Takeshi's chest and giving Hugin's wing a tug.  
It took a moment for her to realize something was very wrong with her _duvet_ , but once she did she froze and slowly inspected it before letting go with a startled yelp and a string of apologies that had everyone laughing, which in turn woke Jenna and Dan who were still asleep, Dan had been on watch during the night, and Jenna's pregnancy caused an increased need of sleep.  
“Don't worry Nelly, you are not the first person to manhandle my wings, and with that thing for a mate I doubt you will be the last.”  
The teasing dig at Takeshi's seeming ability to attract and collect the strange caused another round of laughter, and quite a bit of teasing as they stretched and slowly rose before slipping away toward their private rooms to shower and change clothes.

With breakfast out of the way everyone headed out to their usual pastimes that consisted mainly of studies, and playing games while Takeshi motioned for Nelly to join him in the small Sanctuary.  
“You asked me yesterday if I could make your hair grow. And like I said then, I can. Do you want me to?”  
“Yes.”  
“Keep in mind that it will hurt a bit since I will need to use my claws to cut into your scalp a bit and I will have to cut your current hair and shave your head to make it easier to make sure the blood goes where it needs to, are you still sure you want to go through with that?”  
“Please.”  
The almost desperate tone to her pleading answer made Takeshi's instincts stir again and he had a bit of a hard time keeping them under wraps to keep Nelly from noticing how angry it made him, he didn't want to deal with explaining to her what part he was upset about.  
“Okay. Let's do this then.”  
Using a straight razor Takeshi carefully shaved Nelly's head before asking her to lay down on the soft grass.  
“Now, how long would you like your hair to be?”  
“Well, it kinda depends. Would you be willing to help me brush and braid it until I get used to it?”  
Takeshi couldn't help the surge of desire that rushed through him at her question.  
“Of course, I would be more than happy to, But you need to know that it probably means a bit more to me than you mean by it. Grooming is something very important to pack creatures such as myself, it's also something very intimate. It's a sign of trust, and favor, and it strengthens the bonds within a pack, or between mates, courting pairs or lovers.”  
“Oh...”  
There was a long silence before Nelly nodded her understanding, and acceptance.

“Nel, I need you to speak. I need to hear the truth of your decision in your words. Knowing what it means, do you still wish to request it, offer it?”  
“Yeah, I do.”  
“So, very long hair then?”  
“Mhm, if it's okay with you, I was thinking ankle length.”  
“Your wish is my command.”  
He teased before telling her to hold on to her familiar as it would probably be a bit upset when he used his claws to cut into her scalp, it couldn't actually harm him, but he would rather avoid stressing the young demon if it could be avoided.  
Bringing out a straight razor he carefully shaved her head and the way her aura bubbled with anticipation pulled at his instincts and made him smile.  
“I will start with the front so lay down on your back please.”  
She nodded and did as he asked and the way she tensed up slightly when he straddled her made him smirk, which earned him an annoyed huff.  
He started by giving her a slight massage to allow her to calm down and to increase blood flow which would increase the efficiency of the so called treatment.  
“Ready to begin?”  
“Mhm.”  
She tensed slightly when his claws began cutting into her scalp and the Duzz voiced her displeasure with a string of agitated chitter, but she didn't try to free herself from Nelly's hands to attack.  
“Take, I.. It feels...”  
Nelly's somewhat breathless words made Takeshi pause.  
“Is the pain too much?”  
“No. It's strange, it doesn't hurt anymore. It just feels really...”  
There was a long silence before she spoke up again, and it was barely a whisper.  
“It feels really good...”  
The revelation made Takeshi huff slightly in amusement and kiss her forehead before asking her to turn over so he could continue his work on her scalp.

When he was satisfied that he had given her the proper amount of his blood he leaned in and gently licked at the cuts to heal them, something that left Nelly squirming under him and tested his discipline as the air around them was filled with the scent of anticipation and arousal.  
The way she looked at him when he asked her to turn back around and lie on her back almost had him undone though, her question written clear as day in her face and the self-doubt that was also written there urged him to reassure her and he smiled at the way her eyes widened when he shook his head with a soft smile.  
“No, you are not the only one affected.”  
He shifted slightly to allow her to feel just how affected he was, but a moment later his mind completely fried as she reached down and grabbed him through the soft pants, he had not expected her to be quite so forward.  
“Nel, please...”  
The soft groan was accompanied by a reflexive movement of his hips, grinding himself against her hand and her eyes widened in amazement, it would seem she had not believed just how much she was able to affect him.  
When she pushed her other hand gently against his chest he began rising without resisting her, but a quick grip at his obi belt stopped him from getting up completely, instead she nudged him to move to the side and turn them over.  
He couldn't fully suppress the disappointed whine as her hand moved from his groin to his chest and began removing the simple _uwagi_ style top that was a part of the demon silk _keikogi_ that he usually wore, she left the _zuban_ pants in place though.

Her hands felt cool against his somewhat heated skin and her hesitance made her touch agonizingly soft which tore another groan from him and Nelly's eyes widened at the needy sound.  
Encouraged by his obvious enjoyment she became bolder, testing how different touches made him react and he found it increasingly hard to keep still and allow her to do as she pleased without trying to actively guide her into touching him the way he preferred.  
When her mouth replaced her hands he arched into the touch and he could feel his usual control over his form begin to slip, sharp, but human looking nails turned into the metallic talons of a dragon, small but sharp fangs elongated, and he had no doubt that his eyes had gone from amber human eyes to slit pupils surrounded by fiery red.  
The pleased growl that followed made Nelly look up at him and for a moment she froze, the dilated pupils, shallow breathing and the way she licked her lips was telling and she was slowly moving closer to his face, but just as her lips were about to touch his she snapped out of it and quickly tossed the discarded uwagi over his face.  
The cloth didn't only cut of his vision, but it blocked out her scent and he found that he really did not like being so cut of, especially since she was inexperienced and he didn't want to take the risk that she pushed too far.  
“Please, Nel. I promise I won't look, just please, at least allow me to be able to smell you.”  
He could feel her hesitation, then the uwagi was lifted from his face and he took a greedy breath to regain her scent before forcing himself to relax a bit.

Not being able to see what she was doing made it harder for Takeshi to remain in control of himself, and the way she trailed teasing kisses and licks over his chest was maddening and when she bit down on one of his nipples his hips bucked as claws tore deep into the soil beneath him.  
Tilting his head back he tried to bite down the snarl that was trying to tear loose, Nelly would no doubt misinterpret such a reaction as displeasure at what she had done, but nothing could be further from the truth.  
The way she moved told him he hadn't been entirely successful, but she smelled of curiosity so at least he hadn't scared her.  
He felt the shift in her attention in her aura and after a few moments he felt teeth against his exposed throat and it took everything he had to keep from moving, but when she paused and didn't bite down he nodded slowly.  
“Please...”  
When she bit down he shuddered at the sensation and the way it set his instincts a blaze, but he was quickly distracted when her hand went back down to the ties that kept his zuban in place, the obi had been removed along with the uwagi.  
The cool air of the Sanctuary against his overheated erection made him hiss and buck slightly and he could hear Nelly gasp when she saw him in all his rather excited glory, but it didn't stop her for long and the tentative touch of her hands made him twitch in anticipation.  
As she regained her confidence and courage the touches became more determined, and the feeling of her fingers wrapping around him was divine.  
He could feel her attention shift slightly, focusing on him with curiosity and a hint of question which made him wonder what she was up to, then her hand gave him a harder squeeze, bordering on painful and he could feel the edge of his awareness waver from the intense pleasure.  
“Yes!”  
The low hiss made her give him another squeeze, encouraged by the strong reaction and for once he didn't even try to suppress the reaction to buck against her hand, letting her know just how much he was enjoying her touch.  
“You got your work cut out for you now, I am not so easy to finish off.”  
His tone was teasing, but the purpose was to reassure her, and warn her in a sense, to let her know that if she failed to bring him to completion it was not because she did something wrong.  
Since Nelly didn't have the stamina of his usual lovers he focused on feeling everything, on letting the sensations flood him and pull him along, he wanted her to be able to make him reach his end, he wanted her to have that satisfaction.

It wasn't long however before she threw him off again when he felt her hot breath against his erection before her tongue darted out and gave him a testing lick which made him freeze and put his hand over hers.  
“Nel, are you sure you want to go there?”  
“You want me to, don't you?”  
The question made him suck in a deep breath and release a mix between a sigh and a groan  
“Yes, I do, I very much want you to. But that doesn't matter, all that matters is if **you** want to, if **you** feel comfortable with taking things that far.”  
There was a brief silence before she leaned in and gave his hand a teasing lick.  
“I do.”  
He could hear the truth in her voice and as he moved his hand away anticipation tingled through his body, and aura.

It didn't take long for Nelly to bring him to the edge of control and his entire being was straining with the need to move, to touch, and he didn't want to startle her so he reached out for her familiar.  
 _“Nel, please, I need to touch you, I need to move.”_  
She didn't answer, but her aura became inviting and the familiar echoed agreement and invitation so Takeshi quickly found her hands and brushed his own hand along her arm up to her shoulder and curled it around her neck.  
He immediately found himself missing being able to entwine his fingers in hair so he allowed his energy to run free, to infuse his desires into the blood that tingled just below her skin and moments later her hair began to grow.  
She froze for a moment from the strange feeling of hair growing so rapidly and moments later Takeshi felt hair brush against his skin and he could hear it gather on the ground as he wrapped his fingers into is and gave a gentle tug to encourage her to move again.

Feeling his end approaching Takeshi hissed out a warning as not everyone appreciated if their partner released in the mouth , but she ignored him, instead increasing her efforts, encouraged by her imminent success.  
With his release came a sharp pulse of power that was instantly answered by flares of energy from the others, save for the human crew, and moments later he felt Nelly collapse next to him and curl into his side while trying to catch her breath.  
He didn't give her time to do so though, instead he rolled over and kissed her with a searing hunger which earned him a few half-hearted objections based on the presence of his seed, but that didn't bother him, quite the opposite.  
 _“Don't worry Nel, I quite enjoy tasting myself on my lovers, it soothes my instincts.”  
“Because it marks them as yours?”  
“Indeed.”  
“You... You really want me to be yours?”_  
There was hesitation in the silent question and it made Takeshi break off the kiss and explain to her how is instincts as a pack alpha urged him to lay multiple claims, especially on females, asking her to not read too much into his desire to have a claim on her.  
“I am still getting to know you, and you are still getting to know yourself. I don't know if you will steal a piece of my heart, but I do know that I care deeply, and even if it doesn't turn to love, I will always care, and strive to protect you, body, mind and soul.”  
It pained him to not be able to reassure her any further and the scent of tears made him pull her tightly against his chest and gently kiss her forehead.  
“Take, I think... I... I think I'm already in love with you...”  
It was barely a whisper, but she might as well have screamed it at him, and it made him tighten his arms further around her.  
“I know sweetie, I know. And for what it's worth I'm truly sorry that I can't give you any promises for the future other than to promise that I won't turn you away or reject your feelings.”  
She silently nodded her understanding as she burrowed her face against his chest and the scent of her tears continued to tear at his instincts.  
“Please, just hold me and pretend you don't notice.”  
“I will hold you for as long as you want me to, but I can't just ignore your pain, especially not when I'm the cause. But, how about we go back to your room first and have a shower, I'm afraid I made a bit of a mess of your hair.”  
He could feel the heat of her blush as he brought attention to the wet and slightly sticky splotches in her hair and she quickly agreed that a shower might be a good idea.  
“A little warning though, if we run across one of my dear mates on our way they may try to kiss, or lick you when they smell me on you. Are you okay with that, or do you want me to tell them off?”  
“I think I can handle it as long as that's all they do.”

They had almost made it to Nelly's room when Hugin appeared from the stairwell drawn to Takeshi's presence by curiosity and instinct and when he slowly approached Nelly she tensed up slightly and backed up toward Takeshi.  
“Remember Nel, you don't have to allow his curiosity.”  
The words were part reminder to her, but also part warning to Hugin to be careful and mind her reactions as not to push her too far.  
Nelly reeked of nervousness as she took a small step forward and squared her shoulders before giving Hugin a small nod that he could approach.  
Takeshi watched as Hugin carefully sniffed around her hair and face, the Obsidian Angels didn't have quite as a good sense of smell as some other demons though so he carefully leaned in and gave her cheek a quick lick that made her blush crimson but she didn't retreat even when he wrapped his wings around her.  
The sharp caw that followed was part questioning, part threatening, Hugin had picked up on the taste of her tears and was demanding to know why she had been crying, protective instincts kicking in.  
“Easy love, I swear she was not mistreated in any way, we merely had a rather emotional talk afterwards.”  
Hugin carefully unwrapped his wings with an apologetic chirp before slowly leaning in to give Nelly a proper kiss, making sure to give her plenty of time to back away and when she didn't it became pretty obvious that Hugin had believed she would as he blushed pure obsidian.  
When he finally pulled away Hugin quickly turned to Takeshi and began trailing kisses along his jaw, an apology for the way he had questioned him about the cause of Nelly's tears.  
“Now now Hugin, what have we said about apologizing for caring and being protective?”  
Hugin didn't really answer it, the chirp he voiced was one of those sounds that didn't really translate into a word, it was just a confirmation, a sign of understanding.  
“So, how did she taste?”  
The teasing question was rewarded with another shade of black and a somewhat stunned chirp before a raven fled down the hallway.  
“Oh, that good huh?”  
Takeshi tutted teasingly after him before turning back to Nelly and gently ushering her inside her room and slowly removing her clothes, but when he turned to head toward his own room he was stopped by a hand grabbing his braid.  
“Where do you think you are going, you promised you would help me with my hair, isn't washing included in that?”  
“Of course it is if you want it to be.”  
“I do.”  
“So, do you want me to just help you wash your hair, or am I allowed to join you?”  
There was a slight pause and a blush before she invited him to join her but before he could start to undress she stepped up and returned the favor by undressing him.

“So, how did it feel to be kissed by Hugin?”  
The question made her freeze slightly under his hands but she quickly relaxed again.  
“I think I kinda liked it. He seemed a bit tense though.”  
“He was a bit surprised, he didn't expect you to allow him to kiss you.”  
“Oh...”  
“He is an absolutely amazing kisser though when he puts his mind to it and stops being so shy.”  
“Guess I will have to make sure to give him another chance someday then.”  
Takeshi was slightly surprised that she not only accepted the idea, but even went there on her own with just a slight nudge.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Gardenia & Thunderstorms_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi was putting the final touches to the last kanzashi when Angel informed him that the delivery drone carrying Nelly's kimono had landed, they had decided to have it delivered to the Leviathan so she could try it on before they arrived.  
It would also give them a chance to fix her hair and let her try different combinations of kanzashi as he had gone a bit overboard with making a wide selection of the ornamental hairpins.  
A few of them were in the traditional style made by folding small silk squares into petals, but since he really wasn't very good at making those he had only made a few simple ones more as samples than actually ornaments.  
The majority were made to resemble the very popular, modern, wire and resin flower style, but crafted from sanctuary crystal instead of wire and resin.  
Most of them were various flower and butterfly motifs, but he had made a selection of maple leaf ones as well as that was the traditional design to wear in November as well as some star designs.  
There was a pile of simpler pins with a single decoration, some with a few small dangling ornaments as well but most of them were larger kanzashi with a cluster of flowers and dangling streamers of petals and flowers, though not all of them were intended for Nelly, he had made maple leaf kanzashi for all of the girls.  
Attaching the flower cluster to the perfume wood pin he gave it a final check before adding it to the box and activating the rune that sent the box to his storehouse in the demon-realm before heading out to collect the delivery and find Nelly.  
“Come here Yami, time to go.”  
As usual Yami went from pretty much looking dead to max energy in a heartbeat and was bouncing around Takeshi's feet, almost tripping him several times.

“Nelly, your package has arrived. Take-san is waiting at the private sundeck to help you try it on.”  
Angel's announcement over the speakers had Nelly rushing out of the pool and scrambling to change into a sundress and trying to dry her hair a bit.  
“Allow me.”  
Eriko offered to dry Nelly's hair with foxfire which was accepted with eager gratitude, but despite the help Nelly still found that the others were all waiting for her when she stepped out on the smaller sundeck.  
“Nel, are you ready for your big unboxing?”  
Takeshi greeted her and motioned toward the large box on the table.  
“Umm, no?”  
The somewhat embarrassed squeak had everyone laughing and motioning for her to take a seat in the middle of the large U shaped sitting area.  
“Eriko, would you conjure us a mannequin please?”  
As it was made with regular silk they needed to take some extra care with it to make sure it didn't get damaged or soiled.  
“Wow, the colors are so vivid.”  
With the aid of Eriko's magic the long sleeves of the furisode hung perfectly from the animated mannequin as the obi danced around before wrapping itself around the kimono.

“You will need a few more things before you can try it on.”  
Takeshi quickly activated the summoning circle that was built into the design of the table and summoned a large box.  
He had asked Sorcha to have a demon seamstress make a few pieces to go with the kimono, and also to go with the future demon silk kimono he intended to order for her if she enjoyed wearing a kimono.  
The main item was an enchanted nagajuban from demon silk, the silk cloth was woven from snow pearl silk that had been treated with lava worm blood, the clear liquid adding the ability to generate heat and the enchantment made the size easily adjustable.  
The natural properties of snow pearl silk made sure the person wearing it would not become overheated, and the lava worm blood made sure they would not get chilled either.  
It also contained a long cloth made with a mix of damra wool and snow pearl silk to be used for the sarashi wrapping along with a bunch of soft but strong cords for securing the kimono and obi and a selection of more decorative cords as well.  
He was pretty sure Nelly would choose to use a sports-bra under the nagajuban instead of the traditional binding, but he had added one anyway.

“I know you probably won't be using the sarashi wrapping, but I added one anyway in case you want to try to wear your kimono in a more traditional way.”  
“It's super soft, but it feels almost cold...”  
Nelly burrowed her face into cloth before folding it up and placing it back in the box.  
“It's made with snow pearl silk mixed with damra wool, the silk has a unique ability to keep the wearer cool in any heat, and damra wool is prized for making the softest cloth.”  
Takeshi explained the properties of the cloth while picking up a larger box and opening it to reveal the nagajuban.  
“A nagajuban is needed to protect the silk of the kimono from sweat and oils present on our skin and it helps assure a proper fit of the kimono.”  
Picking up the cool silk he was somewhat surprised at the weave of it, there was a distinct starburst pattern in the silk, he would have to commend the seamstress for the excellent work.  
“Oh, it feels like water.”  
The nagajuban quickly joined the furisode on display, wrapped around another construct of foxfire while Takeshi sent the empty box away with a flash of energy through the circle of runes before altering a small part of the pattern.  
The large table had been designed from sanctuary crystal to resemble a glass table and the rune pattern of a summoning circle was integrated into it. Like a decorative border, but the colored crystal used for the design could be manipulated, allowing the circle to be altered and used to bring various items from the demonic storehouses.  
With a brush of power Takeshi activated the new pattern and brought in one of the boxes containing the kanzashi he had made, he would start with the maple leaf ones though before moving on the ones made for Nelly alone.

“I made you all a little something for the Tori no Ichi.”  
Opening the large box revealed a collection of kanzashi with very similar design, though there were two that were distinctly different, one was much larger with a trail of leaf streamers over a meter long dangling from the elaborate piece.  
It was intended for Eriko who loved elaborate and over the top designs for the festivals, the other one, a much smaller one was made for Takara to make sure the girl would not be uncomfortable.  
“Wow, you made all these leaves by hand?”  
“I did, but it's not really as much work as it seems. Sanctuary crystal is a very forgiving material to work with.”  
“Perhaps, but there are thousands of leaves...”  
Nelly pointed toward Eriko's kanzashi.  
“That one alone must be over a thousand leaves.”  
“It has 2137 leaves, does it not, Take-san?”  
Eriko's words wasn't really a question.  
“Indeed it has.”  
He confirmed anyway.  
“How can you tell?”  
Nelly's confusion was obvious.  
“I am 2137 years old.”  
Eriko's voice was colored by emotion, to craft something with such a personal detail held meaning and the sign of care and acceptance soothed Eriko's broken heart a bit.  
“Wow! Bet you could be a huge help with my history exams.”  
“For the right price I might.”  
The exchange gave Takeshi an opportunity to remind Nelly about the risks of dealing with kitsune, especially since Nelly wasn't a part of what Eriko considered to be Takeshi's _leash_ , the fox equivalent of pack, family or house, so she didn't have the protection of Eriko's oath.

After everyone had picked out their box with maple leaf kanzashi Takeshi summoned in the large box with the ones he had made for Nelly, which earned him quite a few teasing quips about going over the top.  
“Take, there are over 100 kanzashi here.”  
“She can pick her favorites and do whatever she wants to with the rest.”  
He shrugged and settled back to watch Nelly pick through her gifts.  
“Wow, this one even smells like a gardenia flower. How is that possible?”  
“It's the stick, it's made from perfume-wood. I will show later how to control the potency of the scent.”  
“Oh, more demon stuff huh?”  
“Indeed, you might as well get used to it.”  
“I'm trying...”  
She huffed in mock annoyance before refocusing on the kanzashi.

By the time they had her dressed in the kimono the sun had begun setting so they decided to use one of Angels holographic projections to try all the kanzashi rather than try them all on.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Gardenia & Thunderstorms_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Take, would it be possible for you to make some hair-dye the same way you made the solution to remove my acrylics?”  
Nelly was standing in front of the projection that Angel had created based on how she looked wearing the kimono and was testing the various kanzashi to see how they would all look when she wore them.  
“I think we can arrange something. Any particular color you want?”  
“Well, anything that's not this boring, ratty, brown...”  
“Well, were you thinking lighter or darker?”  
He was pretty sure where she was going but he asked anyway.  
“Darker, a lot darker. Like black darker. It would make these look a lot better I think.”  
“More contrast would indeed make them more noticeable.”  
Takeshi was careful to formulate his answer in a way that wouldn't feed her insecurities.  
“Angel, could you make some alterations to the projection please?”  
“Of course, what parameters would you like me to alter?”  
“Alter the hair color, starting with pure black.”  
The holographic image instantly changed to show black hair, but pure black looked somewhat dull and flat.  
“Let's liven it up a bit, add an iridescent effect and lock it to cold hues.”  
A sheen of greens, blues and violets shimmered to life which made Nelly voice a rather pleased sound.  
“Oh, that's amazing! I love it!”  
She quickly asked Angel to run through a few selections of kanzashi and Takeshi had to agree that the effect was very pleasing, an opinion that was rather eagerly echoed by the others who all had found a reason to loiter in the large sitting area.  
“I guess we have decided on a color then. How about I check what our options are for creating it and let you know tomorrow morning?”  
“Okay. Will there be time to dye it before we arrive?”  
“There will, don't worry. At current speed we won't reach Japanese territorial waters until late tomorrow evening so we will spend the night outside the border and enter the day after tomorrow.”  
Takeshi smiled as Nelly's attention almost immediately switched back to the projection, and to picking which kanzashi she liked the best, and giving some of them away to the others.

It would be easy to make the colors with Angel's help, but getting a good looking result on Nelly's long hair wouldn't be an easy task to accomplish so Takeshi decided to take a bit of a chance and ask the old fox to see what she would charge for creating an illusion charm.  
“Eriko, would you be agreeable to creating an illusion charm for me that I can gift to Nelly?”  
Though he trusted Eriko she was still a kitsune, trickery was in her nature so he would bind her into the formality of a proper negotiation.  
“A charm to alter the color of her hair I presume?”  
“Indeed.”  
“Am I also to presume that you will pay the entire price for it?”  
“If the price is agreeable.”

They spent the better part of the day negotiating Eriko's fee for creating the charm before settling on a cost that both found acceptable.  
Another couple of hours had been spent working on the design of the charm, and in the end it was Hugin that gave them a solution by offering one of his feathers with the shamarai mark on it.  
Hugin told them that Munin had mentioned Nelly's adoration for the feather charm that he had given Melissa as a formal courting gift and apparently she had expressed a desire for a similar necklace.   
“That kiss really made her catch your attention, didn't it?”  
The deep black blush and soft chirps only confirmed what Takeshi already knew.  
“But..”  
The confused chirps made it clear that Hugin though he had managed to suppress his reaction and hide it, but even if he had the offer to help with the charm would have given it away.  
“Oh, my dear little raven. I know enough about Obsidian culture and instinct to know you would not have offered a primary flight feather to someone you didn't consider worthy to court, not even indirectly.”  
“I...”  
Soft, concerned chirps paired with the way Hugin's aura folded into submissiveness told Takeshi that he was concerned about being seen as competition for Nelly, which in a sense was understandable considering the way Takeshi would growl at Ylian when they got too close.  
“Don't worry amo. I may be protective and somewhat possessive of her, but if you are interested I have no intention of preventing you from finding out if she is receptive. I growl at Ylian mostly because yi isn't actually interest in her beyond the opportunity to push my buttons.”  
Hugin's color deepened slightly at Takeshi's words and the caws were decidedly annoyed, but the somewhat embarrassed feel of Hugin's aura revealed that he was more annoyed at himself than at Takeshi.  
When Hugin spread his wings to select a feather for Nelly's charm Takeshi took the opportunity to run his hands along the wings and gently slide his finger between the feathers which made the wings tremble.  
“Take, please...”  
“Do you know a better way to infuse more power into your feathers to make the shamarai more prominent?”  
“No.”  
Hugin's breathing became increasingly erratic as Takeshi teased him by touching his wings in a very intimate manner, a manner that Hugin would have had a hard time accepting had they not been mates.  
“Tell me mate. Would you like to kiss her again?”  
There was no response beyond the soft chirps that told him Hugin had heard his question.  
“Make her scent shift from fruits to flowers, bring out the subtle spice of her desire?”  
The chirps slowly shifted into soft agreement as Takeshi teased him and brought out his desire.  
“Maybe an opportunity to taste yourself on her?”  
“Yes!”  
Pushed to the edge Hugin released a sharp flare of power that surged through his wings and made them glow red while the shamarai marks on the tip of the feathers lit up brightly for a moment.  
Hugin was still in a somewhat trance like state when he reached back and pulled the largest feather from his left wing and with a gentle trickle of energy he altered the size until it was about as long as his hand.  
Bringing it to his face he slowly exhaled a breath charged with his shapeshifting power, altering the shape of it from the uneven form of a flight feather into the shape of a raven tail feather with it's large, rounded tip and significantly larger shamarai mark.

“Thank you Hugin.”  
Takeshi took the offered feather and thanked his mate with a kiss and a brush of aura which had Hugin complaining about how mean and horrible he was for teasing him in such a way.  
“Aw, if you keep scolding me like that I might think you don't like me anymore.”  
The answering chirps and caws were less than amused, which made both Takeshi and Eriko snicker, but as much as he complained the bond carried a clear note of love and loyalty that made Takeshi pull him close and gently brush his fingers through his mashen before giving Eriko the feather and a few strands of hair.  
Takeshi and Hugin watches as Eriko plucked a few strands of hair from her own head and added them to the hairs Takeshi had given her before binding it to the feather and infusing it with her power.  
With the infusion of foxfire the normally white shamarai gained a faint glow that flickered with the cyan and green hues of gems like emerald, jade, malachite, turquoise and aquamarine.

“I think she will like it. Hugin, would you like to be the one to give it to her? It is crafted from your feather after all.”  
Takeshi inspected the deceptively simple necklace, during the process of making it the design had changed a bit from the classic style that Munin had given Melissa.  
Instead of the single feather hanging tip down they had added three smaller feathers that attached to one end of a bunch of cords, the other end attached to the tip of the large feather and then threaded through a loop at the base of the large feather.  
When worn the larger feather would be placed tip up across the heart while the smaller feathers hung tip down at the sternum.  
“Is that really okay? You are the one paying the price for it.”  
“Of course it is amo, it's a perfect opportunity for you to see if she might be receptive to your advances as well.”  
“Aw, you two are so adorable, like a pair of little lovebirds.”  
Eriko's teasing earned her a low growl and a moment later Hugin was in his raven form chasing her fox form around the boat much to everyone's amusement.

Takeshi waited until breakfast was done with before asking Nelly to join him.  
“Now, we have two basic options for how we can do this.”  
“And those are?”  
“I can make the dyes needed to create that color through standard methods, but I'm afraid I won't be able to give any guarantees that the result will be any good. It's not an easy color effect to achieve and none of us are trained hair stylists.”  
“So, chances are it won't come out looking too great?”  
“Indeed.”  
“And the second option?”  
“An illusion charm that only makes your hair appear that color, or any color you want it to be, without actually altering it.”  
“Oh, like those raven necklaces that changes Hugin's and Munin's skin-color so they look human?”  
“Similar, those aren't just illusions, they have a bit of true transformation as well so they require quite a bit of power to maintain. This would be pure illusion and all the power needed is bound within the charm.”  
“So, with this charm I could do any color whenever I want to?”  
“Once you learn how to control it, yes.”  
“Well that's a no-brainer then, I'll have the charm please.”  
Takeshi had suspected as much, but confirmation was always good, and the next step could become quite interesting.  
“Hugin, the charm please.”  
Nelly's eyes widened in an almost comical manner when Hugin brought out the charm and placed it around her neck.  
“Wow, are these your feathers?”  
“They are.”  
The surprised chirp that followed as Nelly threw herself around Hugin's neck and kissed him made Takeshi smile, now it was up to Hugin to make use of the opportunity that had revealed itself.

It took a moment for Hugin to snap out of it once Nelly let go but the moment he did he carefully arched his wings around them, not quite touching her, but enough to show her he didn't want her to step away from him.  
Nelly's scent shifted to nervous anticipation as Hugin looked at her, searching for answers to a question he was unable to voice and when he lifted her chin and brushed his thumb along her lips she closed her eyes and nodded.  
When Hugin wrapped his wings tightly around her and leaned in to claim her lips Takeshi sucked in a sharp breath at the rush of heat that surged to his groin, he rarely had the opportunity to enjoy it, but he knew just how damned good it felt to be kissed like that.  
Hugin wasn't settling for a simple kiss and Nelly didn't push him away so it quickly turned into what could only be described as a proper make out session that left them both rather breathless.  
“Wow! Take was right, you are an amazing kisser.”  
Nelly somehow managed to sound teasing which made Hugin huff at her, but Takeshi could hear the pleased chirps that revealed how he really felt as he wrapped his arms and wings tighter around her.  
“You know, you smell really nice, A bit like cocoa. But you don't taste like it.”  
The last part was accompanied by Nelly licking his chest which became too much for Hugin and a moment later she had a face full of feathers as Hugin fled toward the radar and communications array in his raven form.

“Don't worry Nel, that's a very good sign. You just managed to shock him a bit and whenever he becomes emotionally overwhelmed he flees to the simpler mind and instincts of his raven form. He will return once he has calmed down a bit and collected his thoughts.”  
Takeshi quickly made sure that Nelly didn't misinterpret the way Hugin fled.  
“I guess complementing his scent and licking him might have been a bit over the top...”  
“Nah, he's a demon, such things are considered normal behavior. The fact that you don't know about demon culture and instincts only made a deeper impact as he knows it wasn't a play on your part.”  
“Oh...”  
“How about we just let him brood for as long as he needs to and focus on teaching you how to use this little charm instead?”  
It would probably take weeks for her to learn how to use it though as she needed to learn how to focus her mind and aura, but until she could do it herself they would help her activate it and alter her hair to whatever color she wanted.  
He had no doubt she would be sporting some pretty outrageous colors in the privacy of their home while getting used to the feel of the charm.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Gardenia & Thunderstorms_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi's suspicion about Nelly's hair color had been spot on as she was currently sporting a vivid, psychedelic rainbow of colors that gave Takeshi a bit of a headache if he looked at her for too long.  
Much to Takeshi's enjoyment she was currently curled into his side while they watched Hugin and Munin sparring in the advanced style of the Obsidian Guards and they were putting on quite a show, taking full advantage of how well they knew each other to synchronize their movements.  
 _“Dear brother, I never thought I would see the day when you would be putting on a show for a female.”_  
Munin was relentlessly teasing Hugin in the Obsidian language, but at the same time he made sure their match showed off Hugin's skill, and his wings, as was the way of the Obsidian Angels.

“I yield.”  
Munin was on his knees with the tip of Hugin's blade against his mashen when he surrendered and Hugin reached down and plucked one of the covert feathers from Munin's wing before helping him to his feet.  
Stepping over to Takeshi and Nelly he offered the feather to Nelly as a token of his victory in the match, and after a gentle prodding from Takeshi she accepted the offering and patted the seat next to her as an offer for Hugin to join them.  
“Hugin, your wings are all messy. Isn't that uncomfortable?”  
Hugin nodded slightly to Nelly's question but he didn't make any move to fix the feathers.  
“Amo, she doesn't know about Obsidian traditions.”  
Takeshi knew that Hugin was waiting for an offer to help preen his wings, an offer that Nelly wouldn't know to make, but the soft chirps made it quite clear that Hugin wouldn't be able to ask her to do it.  
“What am I missing?”  
Nelly's somewhat distraught question caused Hugin to voice a sad chirp with a hint of question, begging Takeshi to step in and help.  
“It may have been a mock fight with his brother as an opponent, but it was still a display challenge for your favor. A fight to show off his skill and physical form.”  
“I kinda figured that out, but there's more I'm missing, isn't there?”  
“The fight has ruffled his feathers, and he is feeling a rather strong urge to preen, but he is suppressing that urge for a very specific reason. With Obsidian Angels, as with most demons with feathered wings, helping someone with the preening is a very intimate action, and allowing it, is a sign of trust.”  
“Wait, is he waiting for me to help him?”  
“Mhm, an Obsidian female would offer to help preen his wings as a way to reward his victory, and to build a relationship, to test his trust of her.”  
“Oh...”  
Nelly's blush and Hugin's soft chirps of embarrassment made Takeshi smile and gibe Nelly another gentle nudge.  
“Hugin, is it okay if I help you smooth your wings a bit?”  
Hugin gave a slight not and a soft, inviting chirp as his wings relaxed slightly.  
As Nelly worked on carefully sorting through Hugin's feathers Takeshi explained about the various reactions, the meaning of the chirps and the way the wings shifted.  
“Be careful around the base, it's a very sensitive area and he might not be comfortable letting you touch it. If he does allow it you need to be very gentle.”

Takeshi kept watching and enjoying the way Nelly's scent shifted as the last traces of fruit faded away and left only the scent of gardenia and a warm scent that reminded him a bit of the nut butters that were popular in skincare products.  
It was a very pleasant scent, and it told him that Nelly had matured significantly during their passage across the Pacific.  
He had to admit to himself at least that he was slightly surprised when Hugin allowed Nelly to touch the mashen, and that he didn't pull away when she gently burrowed her face among the tiny, soft, feathers.  
“So soft, and smells amazing.”  
There was a slightly embarrassed chirp then Hugin turned around and wrapped his arms and wings around her and kissed her deeply.  
Takeshi took the opportunity to move closer and when he brushed his hand against Hugin's wings they parted slightly to allow him closer, allowing him to gently pin Nelly between them before wrapping back around.

“Is this really okay?”  
Nelly was wedged quite tightly between Takeshi and Hugin as both of them trailed kisses and teasing touches along her neck and arms.  
“That is up to you to decide. We don't mind sharing, so it's entirely up to you if you are comfortable with being shared like this.”  
“I... I think I am...”  
“Then it's okay, I promise. What others may have to say doesn't matter as long as we all agree.”  
Hugin hummed in agreement to Takeshi's words and it seemed to finally make Nelly settle down and just enjoy herself, and occasionally pay them back with a teasing touch or kiss of her own.

 


	5. Change of Plans

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A Change of Plans_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi woke up from Dan gently nudging his shoulder.  
“Angel informed me that a Coast Guard vessel is on an intercept course and will intercept us shortly after we cross the border.”  
“I guess it's time to make use of the specifics of the Japanese treaty. Angel, inform Paul that we will hoist the _Kikumon_ please.”  
“Right away.”  
The _Kikumon_ was the chrysanthemum kamon, seal, of the Japanese Imperial family and the flag that Takeshi had just asked Angel to hoist signaled that the ship was considered a diplomatic vehicle and thus was exempt from inspection.  
The Coast Guard vessel would probably stay close until they had confirmed the Leviathan's registry and ownership information to confirm that they weren't using the Kikumon without permission.  
To do so would be a capital offense, tantamount to treason for a Japanese citizen, a non Japanese could get off easier as they were not expected to be aware of the full meaning of flying the Kikumon.

Takeshi took a quick look around to check on the others before carefully extracting himself from Hugin and Nelly to give Dan a bit of extra attention as he had been the one to keep watch during the night.  
“Shift.”  
The single word was soft but needy as Takeshi pinned Dan against the wall, he didn't have the patience to remove Dan's clothes slowly and a shift was the fastest way to accomplish it, especially without letting him move away from the wall.

By the time Takeshi and Dan were done with each other the others had gotten up and was making their way through a rather impressive breakfast.  
“Good morning everyone, sleep well?”  
Takeshi greeted them as he took a seat at the table.  
Everyone nodded, though Nelly grumbled that though she had slept well she wouldn't have minded a few more hours which was quite understandable since she had been trying to keep up with Takeshi and the others.  
She had only gotten a handful of hours of sleep every night, and while she could keep up for a while the lack of sleep was starting to become noticeable.  
“Don't worry Nel, there's still a few more hours before we arrive so you can nap some more if you want to.”  
“But I don't want to miss anything...”  
Takeshi sighed at the expected answer and considered the options, not that there were many available..  
“Well, there is one more option available if you think you can stomach it.”  
“And what's that?”  
“Consuming some blood with regenerative powers would help your body cope and allow you to manage with only a couple of hours of sleep each night. Think you could handle that?”  
“I don't know. Can I try at least?”  
“Of course. Em, Hugin, care to pitch in?”  
Adding Emelie's blood with its strong vampiric properties should help Nelly's body handle the blood better, and adding Hugin's blood would help soothe instincts, both Hugin's and Takeshi's.  
“Of course.”  
They both quickly agreed to help.  
“Let's make some juice to mix it with. How about Irri?”  
“Oh, can you add some of that blue melon thing?”  
“Of course.”  
Takeshi added the requested fruits to the slowjuicer and poured some of the silvery blue liquid into a small shot glass and added a few drops of his own blood to it before holding it out for Emelie and Hugin to add their blood to it.  
A quick stir turned the liquid slightly violet before he handed it to Nelly along with a glass with the rest of the juice.  
“Cheers!”  
She mock toasted and drained the glass in a single gulp before taking a sip of unmixed juice from the glass.

“Now, I have been thinking about how we should do this. What do you guys think about spending today and tomorrow in Akihabara, then move on to Ginza, and take a few breaks to attend the Tori no Ichi in Asakusa?”  
“Won't we be spending a lot of time today clearing customs and stuff like that?”  
“Nah, don't worry Nel, we will be skipping all that this time, courtesy of the Imperial Insignia.”  
“Oh, that's sweet.”  
“Indeed.”  
It didn't take long for everyone to agree on the initial plan, it could always be altered later if something happened.

“Now Nel, I have an early birthday present for you.”  
Takeshi handed Nelly a wrapped box and an embossed parchment envelope sealed with a Shamarai wax seal.  
“But my birthday isn't for another three months?”  
“Well, we won't be going on another of these shopping trips for another year or so.”  
“Oh..”  
“Now go ahead and open your present.”  
Opening the box revealed a satellite phone in the same design as the others were using as well as a small headset to go with it.  
“It's the same kind of phone the rest of us are using, you can communicate with Angel that way, and you will be able to access the global network from pretty much anywhere, and if there is any form of mobile, satellite or wireless signal you will be able to make and receive calls.”  
“Wow! Thanks!”  
“Keep looking, there's more in there.”  
Another dive into the box revealed a small envelope with an international debit card in it.  
“Angel will help you set a pin, she can also give you the account balance when needed.”  
“Can't she just display the balance on my phone?”  
“Of course I can Nelly. I can also display the balance in local currency if needed.”  
“Sorry Angel, didn't mean to talk around you.”  
Nelly immediately apologized to Angel for speaking as if she wasn't there.  
“I know Nelly.”  
“Take! You are insane!”  
Nelly took one look at the account balance before giving Takeshi a sharp slap on the arm.  
“Just making sure you won't run of pocket change on our little shopping trip.”  
“Pocket change!? There's over 10 million here!”  
The initial account had been 1 million, but Takeshi decided to increase it to give her a nice big buffer for some shopping.  
“Hopefully it will be enough.”  
He teased lightly which earned him a groan while he handed her the embossed envelope.  
The envelope contained a birthday card that was decorated using rune-magic, and a small gift-card of sorts that promised her that she could pick any 10 figurines she wanted to in Akihabara and Takeshi would buy them for her.  
It took a rather overwhelmed Nelly a few minutes to snap out of it and properly thank Takeshi for the gifts.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A Change of Plans_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Their group drew quite a bit of attention in Akihabara, though mostly from the numerous tourists visiting the famous _Otaku Central_ who wanted to take pictures with the kimono wearing girls, Takeshi was genuinely surprised at how many tourists were there despite the recent war.  
Hugin and Munin were also gathering quite a crowd as the girls had bullied them into dressing up as _Karasu Tengu_ , the Crow Tengu of Japanese mythology, complete with beaked masks, it did have the benefit of allowing them the comfort of having their wings out.  
Takeshi was currently snickering at the way Nelly was making a few rather rude faces at a group of girls who were asking to have their picture taken with Hugin.

“Okay ladies, that's quite enough. You can have pictures taken but you are not allowed to touch the wings.”  
Takeshi stepped in when he heard the first soft chirps of discomfort from Hugin as the girls were trying to touch his wings to try to figure out how they were made, believing they were masquerade items.  
Hugin's relief was instant when Takeshi reprimanded the group and made them take a step back.  
 _“You don't have to humor them you know.”  
“I know, but it's a good opportunity to study humans and human interaction. After all, the ones you collect act more like demons than humans.”  
“Well, cosplay fangirls aren't really representative for humans in average either.”  
“You don't say...”  
_The tone was clearly amused with a tint of teasing that made Takeshi huff at him and shoo away another group of tourists, this time a group of young men who were pestering the girls to take pictures with them.

Takeshi had his own group of gawkers, staring at his blades and the modified armor he was wearing, he was wearing the dragonhide armor underneath pieces of his demonsilk shozoku and the addition of glowing runes on the armor made him look like a high-tech ninja from one of the ever popular dystopian science fiction anime.  
No one raised an eye at the way he stayed close to Nelly, all believing it to just be him acting out a role, but in reality he was watching her closely, as was Hugin, since unlike the others Nelly had just started learning how to protect herself, and she didn't have the benefit of an enhanced physiology.

Fortunately they were mostly done with the Akihabara part of their shopping trip, the previous day had been spent looking around all the stores to get an idea of what to buy, and now they were taking a lunch break from going around actually buying the stuff.  
They would still attract a lot of attention in Ginza, but the patrons there tended to be a bit more respectful than the tourists that frequented Akihabara.  
At the moment though Takeshi had his hands full with a bit of a different problem, the store didn't allow live animals inside so while Hugin helped Nelly make the final decision on which of the remaining three figurines that would be her 10th gift, he and Dan were waiting outside with Rai, Yami, Gere, Freke, and Honey.  
Nelly's little duzz had earned her name one morning when the little hellion explored the breakfast table and found the honeypot, despite being efficient predators and mostly carnivorous the duzz shared their mortal counterparts love for sweet things.  
The moment she came across the honeypot she curled around it and defended her claim with every ounce of her species legendary ferocity, in the end they let her have it, and named her Honey.  
Dan had been slightly less inventive with naming his raijū and had simply named it Rai, a name he also used himself when necessary.  
The twins had joined Nelly and Hugin in the store to offer _moral support_ in the choice, or more accurately, to nag Hugin into buying them a few of the X-rated games without them actually having to sneak away to shift to their mature forms.  
Hugin didn't mind though, it gave him the perfect excuse to stay in the store after Nelly had selected her figurine, time he used to purchase the remaining two figurines to give her for her birthday.  
As he paid for the items he sent Takeshi a thought of gratitude for setting up the bank account and card to go with it.

As scouts for the imperial guard Hugin and Munin had made very good wages in the Obsidian Halls, all guards were well paid and would be considered middle class by human standards, but the scouts that worked the borderlands were paid a significantly higher wage, placing them in the upper middle class.  
Working in the borderlands meant working outside of the chronoshift, one day in borderlands being 10 days in the Obsidian Halls meant leaving their family weakened for long times, and not all demons had the power to withstand frequent exposure to the tidal force created by the temporal rift that separated the chronoshift from the normal temporal flow.  
They weren't rich per say, but they were well off, and their assets that consisted of precious metals and gems as well as land translated to quite a fortune in the human realm so Takeshi had insisted on creating accounts that reflected their level of purchasing power which was rather substantial.  
Paying for the two figurines and a pile of games for the twins was no problem, and Takeshi would have Angel transfer the amount spent on the twins from his own account to Hugin's account.

“Come on, let's head back to the Leviathan before the others have dinner without us.”  
Takeshi rounded up the others and ushered them toward the area where their ride was waiting, a luxury bus that had been retrofitted into a limousine.  
Jenna had stayed at the Leviathan as all the walking made her feet hurt and Emelie had insisted than an alpha should remain with her, and in turn Amanda had insisted that an alpha should not be without a beta at their side.  
Most of the girls had stayed to keep them company as they had little interest in the wares of Akihabara and didn't feel like dressing up and suffering the crowds.

Once they were inside the modified bus Takeshi found himself at the bottom of an impromptu dogpile as everyone save for Hugin and Munin was seeking out physical contact and reassurance.  
All of them had some problems with the Japanese view on public displays of intimacy but Takeshi insisted that they respect their hosts' discomfort with such displays.  
“Easy, everyone will get their chance but you need to calm down a bit before you hurt Nel.”  
The effect was instant as everyone froze and looked at Nelly, auras gently probing hers to make sure they hadn't hurt her.  
“It's okay guys, I'm fine, I promise.”  
She blushed quite a bit when the others moved aside and ushered her forward, letting her snuggle for a while and letting Takeshi soothe his instinct to rub his scent over her, and sate his need for kisses a bit.  
Once she moved back and took a seat on the other side of the bus Munin and Melissa took the opportunity to quickly rub their cheeks against Takeshi's to renew the scent mark and he rewarded them with a quick kiss on the forehead before they pulled back and snuggled up next to Nelly.  
Hugin also took advantage of the slight pause to steal a kiss before shifting to his raven form to avoid feeling cramped.  
“Come here Hugin.”  
Nelly patted her shoulder and Hugin quickly claimed the offered perch and began to gently sift through her hair with his beak and she returned the gesture by sifting through the feathers on his head and gently brush a finger along his beak.

Together they watched as the others pounced again and this time it quickly turned into a scuffle and after a while Takeshi emerged on the top of the pile, pinning each of them in turn and giving them a not so gentle nip to the throat to reinforce his dominance.  
At first such displays had bothered Nelly a bit, but after they all had reassured her that it didn't actually hurt, at least not in a bad way, she had grown accustomed to seeing it and now she barely noticed.  
If anything she took the show of dominance as a sign that the scuffle was coming to an end and that it was safe to return to the same section of the seats as the others and join the cuddle.  
There was some flapping and a slight caw of objection from Hugin who lost his balance a bit as she moved but it didn't take long for Hugin to settle down again and gently worry her ear until she huffed at him and shooed him over to Takeshi's shoulder.  
The disgruntled grumbling caws made everyone laugh, and made Munin tease Hugin with a few chirps of his own, Nelly didn't understand what was said, but the tone and Hugin's reaction was plenty enough.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A Change of Plans_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Take, can I taste some too?”  
Nelly pointed toward the huge melon-bowl that rested on a bed of crushed ice.  
“Of course you can, but not too much, Em's concoction may not be as potent as regular orcha, but it still packs a bit of a punch for a human.”

During their 10 year stay in the Obsidian Halls Emelie had been studying under the wine masters and in her curiosity had been experimenting with making orcha herself on a small scale and had managed to make a sweet sparkling version using a method similar to the traditional champagne method, just with a touch of magic to assist.  
She had also managed to convince one of the wine masters to produce a small batch each harvest for her House Miri and over the years the old artisan had become quite skilled at making it, slightly altering the method, adapting it to demon realm ingredients and materials to give a better quality.  
The chronoshift along with the fact that Irri gave 5 harvests each year had allowed him a lot of experimenting and to provide them with a steady stream of sparkling orcha, but he still produced the version that Emelie had first created as well.  
The fruit punch this evening was made with Emelie's own product which was quite a bit sweeter than the version that the wine master was making, but apart from Takeshi everyone preferred it's sweetness.

“Thanks!”  
Nelly was beaming as she took one of the glasses and poured herself some of the punch and sipped it carefully.  
“So, Nel, how did you like the Tori no Ichi?”  
The first day of Tori no Ichi had been spent in Asakusa to enjoy the traditional market.  
“It was fun! A bit strange with all the haggling and clapping, but fun.”  
“I'm glad you enjoyed it.”  
Leaning in he stole a kiss before teasingly complaining that she tasted too sweet.  
“Hmph. I bet Hugin or Ylian wouldn't complain...”  
Ylian was quick to take advantage of her teasing, taking it as an invitation to steal a quick kiss.  
“She's quite right, she tastes lovely to me.”  
Moments later Ylian was shoved away by large wings as Hugin moved in closer and claimed a kiss of his own before agreeing with Ylian's assessment of the flavor of the kiss.  
“I don't recall saying you could taste...”  
Nelly grumbled at Ylian with a glare, but was rewarded with a rather cocky smile.  
“Oh? Really? You didn't seem to mind if the way you returned the kiss was any indication.”  
Ylian had been paying close attention to her every reaction as they stole their kiss, making sure not to overstep and there had been no sign of objection, quite the contrary and as suspected the teasing reply made Nelly break down into a blush and what could only be called an annoyed smile.  
“And don't worry Hugin, she may be curious enough to let me get away with a few things, even respond to them, but she's not actually interested.”  
Ylian's words made Hugin relax visibly, but Nelly seemed almost a bit distraught.  
“Don't worry Nel, I'm not feeling rejected in any way. In fact, my interest in you is fairly similar, curious and well, not adverse to some exploring, but not actually interested in any deeper relationship, not right now at least, but who knows what the future might hold.”  
With the reassurance Nelly relaxed as well.  
“Though for me it has the added bonus of ample opportunity to tease my Mate and Co-Mate here.”  
The teasing addition earned them another huff and a rather annoyed caw.

In the spirit of the season they had prepared a wide selection of traditional festival foods and topped it all off with a giant pot of Sukiyaki and a Yakiniku grill in the center, though many of the ingredients came from the Shamarai storehouse, things like fine cuts of gong and a pile of zimara tentacles.  
The weather was a bit on the chilly side so the fire for the hotpot and the grill added an additional level of comfort as they all huddled around, even though Nelly was the only one actually bothered by the cold.  
Though, she was quite comfortable under Hugin's wing as the feathers shielded her from the colder air, while at the same time keeping the air warmed by bodies and glowing embers from escaping.

“Oh well, as much fun as this is I need to get some sleep, this little hellion is sucking me dry.”  
Jenna excused herself from the table and Dan quickly told Takeshi he would see to her before simply picking her up and carrying her toward her rooms while she grumbled and complained about being carried, but the way she leaned into him was quite telling about how she truly felt about it.  
Her estimated due date was still about six weeks away, but she was quite large, and constantly complaining that she felt like a blimp as well as constantly being tired as the baby drained copious amounts of energy.  
“Good night then. Just remember to let me know if you need a bit of an energy refill.”  
The drain on her reserves had given them no option than to have her consume quite a lot of blood from the more powerful members of their household with Takeshi, Emelie and Ylian being the main contributors, but Hugin and Munin helped out quite a bit as well, so did Sorcha whenever she was in the human realm.  
Marakell had offered as well, but Jenna declined his aid as he was still recovering from having starved himself for a very long time.  
“I will, don't worry. I'm just a bit tired from all the walking and all the people at the festival.”  
The way she was nuzzling her face against Dan's neck contradicted her words though and Takeshi was pretty sure she would take a bite out of him when they were back in her room, and possibly ask Ylian for a contribution as well.  
Takeshi was also pretty sure she wouldn't ask him again so soon, he had noticed that she made sure to rotate who she asked, though, they didn't need the recovery time as a human feeding a vampiric would, it was more like she was making sure everyone got to feel equally involved.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A Change of Plans_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

It was only about two hours later that Nelly began having a hard time to keep up with the debates and games, and began yawning quite noticeably.  
“I think it's time for me to get some sleep too.”  
Leaning into Takeshi she gave his jaw a gentle nip.  
“Any chance you could carry me to my rooms?”  
“Of course sweetie.”  
He quickly picked her up which earned him a bit of a yelp before she settled down in his arms but instead of walking to her rooms he gathered a bit of shadow energy around them and leaned in and brushed his lips against her ear.  
“Nel, do you trust me?”  
“Always.”  
“Close your eyes and take a deep breath and hold it.”  
“Okay.”  
A flicker of power opened the passage into the shadow-realm and they both vanished and a few moments later they appeared in Nelly's sitting room and he set her back on her feet.  
“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”  
“Wow!”  
“Are you feeling okay? No strange sensations?”  
Takeshi gently probed her aura to make sure there had been no negative effect from passing through the shadows, he had used his own power to shield her, but the contact with the cold, dark, energy could be very unsettling.  
“Okay? I'm better than okay. That felt amazing! I don't think I have ever felt so safe before...”  
“Oh? You enjoyed being wrapped in my aura like that?”  
“Yeah, I did. It felt really nice.”  
Encouraged by her admission he wrapped his arms tighter around her and allowed more power to seep into his aura while also allowing the inner layers to expand slightly so that he could wrap Nelly's aura with his own, compressing it slightly while gauging her reactions.  
“So safe...”  
She burrowed her face into his chest and in return he burrowed his nose into her hair and took a deep breath, carefully sorting through her scents but the presence of the scent of multiple strangers made him sneeze slightly.  
“What's wrong Take?”  
“You smell of strangers, outsiders.”  
“Oh, all the people at Asakusa, right?”  
“Indeed.”  
As always Asakusa had been very crowded so it was unavoidable to bump and rub against other participants, which left their scents clinging to Nelly even though she had changed out of her kimono already.  
Scents didn't stick to Takeshi and the others the same way as they instinctively purged themselves from such scents, it would take more than just a casual bump or standing next to someone to imprint a heavy enough scent for it not to be purged.  
“And you want to get rid of the scents, don't you?”  
“I do, I instinctively find them very irritating.”  
“Join me in the shower then? Make sure to scrub the offending scents away?”  
Takeshi did not need to be asked twice and quickly began removing her clothes as well as his own.

They had enjoyed quite a long shower when Takeshi leaned in to test her scent again, but found that something about it was off but he was unable to put his finger on exactly what with all the other scents that mingled with hers.  
“Nel, with your permission I would like to wash you with a special demon soap that removes all foreign scents completely, including any scent marks you may carry. Leaving only your true scent behind.”  
“Okay.”  
“Easy. Don't decide before I have a chance to explain why I make sure to ask first.”  
“Well go on, don't make me wait.”  
Takeshi huffed at her somewhat cheeky reply.  
“If I use this soap on you I will feel a very strong urge to renew the scent marks, and once we meet the others they will react rather strongly as well, especially my mates. And Hugin will want to get his scent back on you as well.”  
“It's okay, I know you won't let things get out of hand.”  
“Scent stripping it is then. Wait here, I'll be right back.”  
Slipping into the shadows he brought one of the special soaps from his own rooms and returned to Nelly's bathroom to help her wash all scents away.  
“Take, I thought you were supposed to help me wash, not feel me up.”  
There was barely restrained laughter in Nelly's voice as she complained about Takeshi's very hands on help.  
“Oh, got something against combining business with pleasure?”  
“Not at all, I just happen to believe in equal opportunity.”  
Squirming around she made sure to get as much of the suds as she could onto Takeshi before letting her hands roam over his body and slowly make their way to his waist.  
She paused for a moment at his hips which made him groan slightly at her and accuse her of being a tease.  
“I'm learning from the best.”  
His amused snort encouraged her to be even bolder and he had to give her that one, she had been an excellent student.

Once the water had rinsed away all the soap Takeshi found himself leaning against the wall of the shower while Nelly teased him with licks, kisses and nips, but he was somewhat distracted by her scent, there was no trace of fruit left.  
It was warm and slightly sweet with a distinct musky spice that set Takeshi's senses on fire and made him want to saturate her scent with his own, but she kept him from touching her with soft hands and teasing quips.  
Once out of the shower Takeshi's control slipped slightly and he took the opportunity to wrap his arms tightly around her as he slowly explored her scent.  
It wasn't until she voiced a slightly pained whine that he realized just how tightly he was holding her and he instantly let go and nuzzled the underside of her jaw with an apologetic whine.  
“It's okay. I like it when you hold me tightly, just maybe not quite as tightly.”  
While she spoke she pulled his arms back around her and after a few moments he gave in and wrapped around her again, carefully tightening his hold until she gave him a gentle tap to indicate she had reached her limit.  
The kisses that followed were laced with a searing hunger and though he tried not to his grip did occasionally tighten slightly but the only reaction from Nelly was a low whine, but while it carried a hint of pain the sound was more needy than anything.  
It did remind him of her limitations though, remind him that despite her scent and her reactions she was still entirely human, entirely fragile, and mostly untouched.

“Take, please. I need... I don't want to wait any longer.”  
The way she moved against him made it quite obvious what she was asking for and desire surged through him, he wanted nothing more than to just grab her, carry her to the bedroom and toss her on the bed, but he forced the desire down.  
“The Arashiri takes time though, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a week set aside for it.”  
He was intentionally misunderstanding her to see how she would respond, to test her determination.  
“If it means I have to wait I rather not do the arashiri at all.”  
There was pure determination in her voice so Takeshi decided not to hold back.  
“There is nothing that says you have to be innocent for your arashiri.”  
The teasing answer made her slap his arm and hiss in annoyance.  
“But on a more serious note, as you have probably already noticed, my control right now is not what it usually is. The combination of demon saké, that venom I showed you and some shiiza has me tethering on the edge of my control already. Are you sure you want to go there while I'm not entirely in control of myself?”  
He had a feeling what her answer would be, but he asked her anyway.  
“I trust you. And I want this, I **need** this!”  
Takeshi gently tilted her head so he could get a better look at her face and eyes to seek out any trace of hesitance but all he found was a soft smile and dark eyes that spoke of trust and desire.  
“Then so be it.”  
Leaning in to kiss her he allowed his own desire to break free from its usual restraints, allowed it to flow freely through his aura and to flavor the kiss with raw hunger and a hissed out _Yes!_ told him she didn't mind the intensity.  
A flicker of awareness and concern over the bond with Hugin made Takeshi pause for a moment which rewarded him with a disappointed whine that was quickly replaced by concern.  
“Take? What's wrong, what did I do?”  
“It's nothing you did. Hugin is sensing my desire and it has him somewhat unsettled.”  
“Oh...”  
Reaching up she gave Takeshi a soft kiss.  
“Please tell him this doesn't mean I'm rejecting him.”  
“Oh, that's not what has him worried. He's concerned that I, in my somewhat intoxicated state, and under the influence of shiiza, have inadvertently pushed you into this.”  
“Well, you better set him straight then.”  
The way she dragged her nails across his chest made Takeshi shudder as he reached out for Hugin over the bond that had formed when Takeshi tied Hugin's soul to his own to save his life.  
 _“Mainano my love, easy. I swear she is acting entirely on her own desires. I made sure of that.”  
_ Hugin reflected relief over the bond but there was still quite a bit of concern there and Takeshi could feel that Nelly's words about rejection were probably more accurate than he had first believed. _  
“Oh, and Nel asked me to tell you that this does not mean she has rejected you in any way.”  
_ The concern quickly faded and Hugin withdrew from the bond but not without transmitting a slight sense of annoyance at the somewhat teasing tone of Takeshi's last words.

The moment Hugin had withdrawn Takeshi shifted his full attention to Nelly and pounced at her, pinning her to the large bed with a teasing growl which earned him a startled yelp before she tilted her head back and offered him her neck.  
“Nel, may I take some of your blood?”  
The way she offered her neck had lit a different desire in him and he would at least ask her if he may sate it.  
She looked somewhat apprehensive though, but she reached up for his face anyway and when she brushed her thumb over his lips he opened his mouth and bared the slender fangs so she could inspect them.  
“Won't that hurt a lot?”  
“No, I promise you won't feel any pain at all, all you will feel is pleasure.”  
She winced slightly when she pressed her finger against one of the fangs and the sharp point pierced the pad of her finger and drew a drop of blood, when Takeshi licked the drop away with a shudder of repressed desire her eyes widened in understanding and she relaxed back against the bedding and tilted her head back again.  
“Go ahead.”  
With her permission Takeshi leaned in and began to focus on the vampiric hunting abilities as he caressed, licked and kissed her throat to soothe her and make sure she was fully under the influence of the seductive power that would make sure she felt nothing but pleasure as he bit her.  
When he finally sank his fangs into the offered flesh Nelly arched into him and voiced a strangled cry, but it was a sound of pleasure, not pain as the seductive power pushed her over the edge.  
If Takeshi had any say in the matter it would be the first of many times she fell into the abyss that night.  
He didn't have time to muse on it though as the heat of her blood rushed through him and set his instincts on fire and he was forced to focus on not taking too much of her blood, the last thing he wanted to do was to wear her out before they had gotten started.  
When he withdrew his fangs and healed the small wounds with lick she was panting rather heavily beneath him and he leaned down further and whispered in her ear.  
“You taste absolutely divine.”  
He was somewhat surprised when she responded by kissing his throat before sucking in a small piece of skin and biting down hard, though, it wasn't the fact that she bit him that surprised him, it was the intensity of his own reaction to the bite.  
His reaction was instant though as he groaned and bucked against her which rewarded him with a strong surge of desire in her scent, but it was almost overpowered by triumph and amusement.

“Harder... Please!”  
Has was unsure just what it was about Nelly that made his reaction so strong, normally his instincts would rebel at someone who was not pack, or at least House Shamarai, even trying to bite at his throat or neck.  
But with Nelly he didn't just allow it, he found that he craved it and she seemed willing to oblige.  
“Nel! Please, bite harder...”  
She gave the abused flesh a gentle lick before finding a new spot to suckle on before sucking in a bit of skin and biting down hard.  
“Yes! More! Harder!”  
There was a flicker of surprise in her aura at his strong reaction, but she did as he asked her to and rubbed the piece of skin between her teeth when she had no more strength to put into it.  
“Nel, I need... I want... I want you to kiss me and taste my blood on your lips.”  
He knew that such a request could backfire, but he found that he had to at least ask her for it, though, he didn't tell her straight out that he wanted her to take some of his blood, that he wanted the sensation of her feeding on him.  
She may not have the powers of a vampiric, but he knew he would still respond to the sensation if she took some of his blood.  
“I can't...”  
The disappointed whine escaped before he had a chance to stop it, but her reaction puzzled him a bit, she seemed amused.  
“You forget I'm human, my teeth are too dull to break that crazy hide of yours.”  
Realization that she was correct made him want to slap himself, but instead he mumbled an apology before reaching up and using a claw to make a cut and she instantly latched on and bit down hard.  
He could sense that she consumed some of his blood before another soft lick told him to allow the cut to heal and a moment later she grabbed his hair and pulled sharply to make him turn so she could kiss him, and the flavor of his own blood on her lips sent him over the edge.  
It would seem they both would be spending plenty of time in the abyss before the night was over.

Takeshi didn't resist when Nelly nudged him to move over, instead he just rolled to the side and pulled her with him, but quickly found their new position to be a bit of a challenge as the way she straddled him let him feel just how ready she was, and he found himself instantly hard and ready once again.  
Looking up he found Nelly grinning at him, she obviously had every intention of teasing him some more, and he found that the total lack of hesitation was quite tempting.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A Change of Plans_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi woke up when Angel reduced the power to the electrochromic crystals in the windows to let some light in and a few moments later Nelly stirred as well and soon he found himself on the receiving end of teasing nips and kisses.  
“Good morning sweetie.”  
“Mhm..”  
“You know, Angel probably woke us up for a reason.”  
“Indeed I did. If you want a chance to shower before breakfast is all gone you need to get moving.”  
There were a few grumbled complains from Nelly, who had not had nearly as much sleep as she should, even with Takeshi's blood supporting her but Takeshi ignored those as he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.

“Nel, I need to warn you that the others will hassle you a bit when we join them. Mainly because we scrubbed away their scents last night so they will want to reapply the scent marks. Em, Dan and Manda will be extra annoying as they will instinctively want to test you a bit, see if you are worthy.”  
The instant flicker of fear made him pull her tightly against his chest.  
“Don't worry, they have accepted you long ago, or they would have objected and interrupted us last night. But they have instincts they need to soothe, especially now that neither of us are carrying their scents.”  
He could feel her take a few deep breaths to steady herself before giving him a slight nudge to let go.  
“I.. I know, I guess. It's just...”  
“I know sweetie. We all know.”  
He gave her another quick kiss before helping her rinse her hair.  
“One more thing. Hugin will probably be somewhat distraught and hesitant despite the reassurances I gave him. If you are serious about the possibility of allowing him to court you, there is something you can do for him.”  
“Oh, what would that be?”  
“When we join the others, you go straight to Hugin, refuse to acknowledge the others, even Em. Rub your face against his neck and the underside of his jaw, this will make him curl his wings around, when he does you make sure to rub against the inside of the elbow of his wings, most angels have a pheromone gland there, the Obsidian included.”  
“But won't that piss Em off? I mean if I ignore her like that and go to a lower ranked member of your house instead?”  
“It will rile her up a bit, but she will understand the implications of the actions just fine.”  
“Okay.”  
“If it looks like anyone will interfere too much I'll distract them. You just focus on Hugin.”  
“I will.”

“Well well, look who couldn't wait to get her hands on our dear alpha.”  
Emelie's tone was slightly challenging when she got up from her seat and walked toward Nelly, intent on teasing her and testing her a bit before accepting her as one of Takeshi's lovers.  
The look on her face when Nelly squared her shoulders and ignored her as she headed straight for Hugin was priceless, though Takeshi found himself snatching her tail before she had a chance to pounce on Nelly and demand her attention.  
“Mate, don't.”  
She spun around and hissed at him with fangs bared and wings flared, but a growl and a sharp tug on the matingbond made her submit.  
The look of utter shock on Hugin's face though had Takeshi snickering but when Hugin froze instead of wrapping his wings around Nelly Takeshi stepped in to make sure Hugin snapped out of the daze.  
“Yes Hugin, she knows. I made sure she knows.”  
It took a moment for Hugin to realize what Takeshi was saying, but when he did he wrapped his wings around Nelly, and blushed pure black when she nuzzled the inside of the elbow on each wing, thoroughly saturating her scent with his pheromones.  
The kiss that followed had everyone hooting and cheering, which only served to make Hugin turn an even darker shade of black when he finally pulled back, he didn't move away from Nelly though and when Emelie approached to soothe her instincts his wings arched around slightly and flared in warning.  
“Always so protective. Don't worry Hugin, I mean her no harm, and I have no intention of rejecting her or in any way inhibit her presence here.”  
Nelly looked rather confused as Emelie had spoken Urui, and the duzz familiar had not translated her words.  
“You have quite interesting taste in males Nel.”  
“Like you don't? I have seen you with Munin and Lissa.”  
The teasing counter, pointing out that Emelie occasionally shared Munin's bed while Melissa watched them, made her smile and touch Nelly's face with her tail, adding some of her own pheromones into the mix.  
“Welcome to the care of House Shamarai-Miri.”  
“Thanks Em.”  
Nelly gave her a hug before stepping back into the protective embrace of Hugin's wings where she immediately rubbed her face against the wings, covering Emelie's scent mark with Hugin's scent.  
Takeshi didn't think she was entire aware of what she did though, but Hugin was well aware of what such an action meant to a demon, and he beamed, proud as a peacock.

By the time everyone was done getting their scents back on Nelly and Takeshi Hugin's instincts were in rather a tiffy so when Takeshi closed in to get Hugin's scent back the angel greeted him by wrapping his wings around Nelly and voicing a rather aggressive trill, warning Takeshi away.  
Fortunately everyone save for Nelly were used to the occasional mishap when it came to instincts so they just ignored him and waited for him to calm down.  
“Easy mate. Remember, she chose to be ours to share.”  
Another angry trill made Takeshi shift and flare his wings at Hugin.  
“No, you **will** submit.”  
He enforced his words with a sharp flare of power before wrapping his wings around Hugin's, effectively pinning Nelly between then, and silently praying that she would respond as well as she usually did.  
Much to his relief she responded perfectly by nuzzling the underside of his jaw before doing the same to Hugin.  
“Guys, what's going on?”  
Her words came out as a soft whine which made both males lean in and try to soothe her, and the fact that she sought comfort from both of them finally snapped Hugin out of the grip of instincts.  
“Don't worry Nel, remember what I told you about how instincts sometimes get in the way and make us behave in ways we normally wouldn't?”  
“Mhm..”  
“Well, Hugin's reaction to you choosing him like this was a bit stronger than anticipated, and the fact that you kept refreshing his scent on you each time someone touched you, and your scent on him each time they touched him, made the reaction even stronger.”  
Takeshi began to explain while Hugin reined in the last bits of his haywire instincts.  
“When Take approached my instincts reacted to his alpha nature, and well, overreacted.”  
“I kinda figured that part out, but why?”  
Hugin tried to find the words, but after a tense silence his embarrassment got the better of him and he fled to his raven form and settled on Nelly's shoulder, gently worrying her ear.  
“Remember, Hugin is a beta, a fairly sharp one, but still a beta, and I'm an alpha. In a male dominated pack the male alpha will often claim any unmated females for himself so when I approached like that his instincts saw me as competition.”  
“Oh...”  
“Not only that, since you had made it abundantly clear that you chose him I became a potential threat, especially since I'm the one who claimed your innocence, even if it wasn't through the arashiri his instincts still recognize me as your Guide.”  
“Oh, I see. He thought he would have to fight you for courting rights?”  
“Exactly. You have paid attention.”  
“Ylian taught me quite a bit.”  
“Yi does have a knack for knowing what lessons will come in handy.”  
“Take, you better hurry if you want some food before it's all gone.”  
Amanda interrupted them to remind that they were supposed to be eating some breakfast before heading to Ginza for more shopping and with the moment broken they headed to the table.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A Change of Plans_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Hugin please! Can't you help them?”  
Takeshi arrived at the agreed meeting place just in time to hear Nelly beg Hugin to help someone and a quick look around revealed that the someone, or rather someones, was a group of crows who had somehow managed to get inside the restaurant.  
The large, panicked, birds were frantically trying to escape the staff only to end up repeatedly crashing into the large windows.  
Takeshi watched as Hugin leaned in and whispered something to Nelly before turning to the staff and asking them to step back a bit.  
With his wings spread he slowly approached the crows while trying to calm them with soft caws, and much to everyone's relief it was working and before long he had managed to beckon the first crow to land on his outstretched hand and once it was calm he slowly handed it to Nelly.  
A second crow was soon wrangled and handed to Munin before Hugin secured the final bird and carried it outside and set it free.  
 _“Karasu Tengu?”  
_ Takeshi hadn't really been paying attention to what the old couple next to him had been saying, but he did catch the last part asking him if Hugin was a crow Tengu and the way the old couple looked at him it was quite obvious that they could see his wings.  
 _“Iie, kare wa Kokuy_ _ō_ _seki Tenshi desu.”  
_ The couple looked at him with slight surprise before nodding and humming about what a rare treat it was to see such a creature.  
Their hushed conversation soon shifted to how much they enjoyed seeing girls dressed in proper kimono, not just simple yukata like most youngsters, even if they happened to be foreigners.  
When their conversation shifted toward what a nice match Hugin and Nelly were Takeshi tuned them out in favor for listening in on Hugin's soft chirps.

“Oh no! Poor thing!”  
Nelly's pained exclamation instantly pulled Takeshi's attention away from Hugin and back to Nelly who was carefully trying to pick up an injured crow.  
When the ruckus created by the frightened crows had died down Nelly had noticed rustling and scratching from behind one of the large planters in the window and found a fourth crow, this one however was not as fortunate as the others.  
Crashing against the window the young crow had managed to break its left wing and was now desperately trying to hide.  
“Sssh, come here little one, I'm not going to hurt you.”  
The way the crow was huddled into a corner made it impossible for Hugin to reach it, but Nelly refused to give up on it and after a few minutes she managed to wrap her hands around it and pick it up, carefully holding the injured wing still.  
“Aw, poor baby.”  
She ignored the sharp beak that was trying to peck at her fingers and began to gently stroke the tiny feathers on the crow's head and soon it began to understand that she wasn't hurting it and began to relax.

“Take, can you help it? Please...”  
It was soothing to his instincts that she turned to him for help, and he was glad that Emelie and the twins had not arrived yet, Sarah and Maria would be distraught at the crow's suffering, even he could feel its pain.  
“I will do my best, but it may not accept us using power to heal it, but we will make sure to help it in whatever way we can.”  
Healing animals could be tricky, often they simply rejected the foreign power, but they always had the option of doing it the old fashioned way and fixating the broken wing until it could heal.  
The way he was met by an open beak every time he tried to touch the crow made it quite obvious that healing it with power would not be an option.  
“Ssh, he's trying to help you.”  
Nelly was trying to soothe the crow but it didn't help.  
“Nel, it can feel that I'm a predator, it's not about to let me touch it while it's injured. You will have to play nurse for a bit so we can fixate that wing.”  
“Okay, just tell me what to do.”  
“Lissa, would you and Munin go find us a first aid kit please, one that has bandages we can use to fixate the wing.”  
“Right away.”

By the time Melissa and Munin returned with a large first aid kit there was quite a crowd gathered outside the restaurant, curious to see what they were going to do with the injured crow, and Takeshi was glad that Nelly didn't understand Japanese very well yet because most of the comments were far from nice.  
Crows were considered to be pests and quite a few of the audience were saying they should just wring its neck and be rid of it.  
Fortunately Takeshi had been able to convince Emelie to distract the twins and delay their meeting to give them time to treat the crow so it at least wouldn't be in as much pain, and that kept them from hearing the less than friendly comments.  
Takeshi instructed Nelly on how to check the break in the wing and make sure it was properly aligned before securing the wing by first immobilizing the elbow and wrist joints then wrapping the wing against the body.  
“Take that towel and rub it against your face before wrapping the crow, it will help it stay calm.”  
The towel covered in Nelly's scent would help mask his own scent from the crow and help keep it calm since it apparently trusted Nelly not to hurt it.  
After Nelly had done what he asked she settled down with the crow in her lap and was gently brushing her finger over its head which seemed to actually calm it rather than agitate it while they waited for Emelie and the others to arrive.

“Nel, did you find what you were looking for?”  
She had insisted on buying something for Takeshi, so she had demanded that they split up for a while so she could buy it without him knowing what it was or where it had been bought.  
They had ended up splitting into three groups, Eriko had taken Takara, Hugin, Munin, Nelly and Melissa to find the gift Nelly wanted while Emelie had taken Amanda and the girls, Takeshi had wandered around with Dan and Ylian, taking a moment to pick out some Christmas presents for the others.  
“Mhm. Found just the thing.”  
“Oh, got a hint for me?”  
“No way. You're too clever, you'd just figure it out and that wouldn't be any fun.”  
“Aww...”  
The mock disappointment really didn't work well when the person in question had a proud smirk plastered all over their face.

When Emelie and the others joined them Takeshi informed the twins that there would be a slight change in plans for their lunch as the restaurants wouldn't allow the crow inside, or even in the outdoor seats.  
“Well too bad for them!”  
There was no doubt that everyone agreed that the injured crow was more important than where they got their food so before long they had grabbed a wide selection of food from the various stalls and takeout restaurants and settled down in a small park area to eat.  
“Nel, try giving your little patient this. Chances are it won't take it, but it's worth a try.”  
Takeshi held out a small ball of plain rice that he had put a few drops of blood on, it wasn't enough to heal the crow, but it could bolster its resilience to infections, and it needed to eat something to keep its strength up.  
Fortunately the crow took well to being offered a piece of food, and the slight movement of the undamaged wing under the towel made it even more obvious that they were dealing with a young bird, one of the season's chicks.  
“Aww...”  
“Look how cute it is when begging.”  
Takeshi snickered at the way the girls cooed at the young crow while Nelly fed it tiny bits of food that Takeshi selected.  
After the first offering of rice he made sure to pick things that would be good for the bird, and spiked it with a few drops of blood.  
“Okay, I think that's enough, we don't want to overfeed the greedy little rascal.”

While they ate they decided that Emelie would take Jenna and the girls back to the Leviathan, they were done with most of their shopping and Jenna was tiring fast.  
“Dan, Ylian, I want you two to go with Take, Hugin and Nelly. We will send the limo back for you once we are home.”  
“Yes alpha.”  
The teasing tone made Emelie flare her wings in mock annoyance, but there was a flicker of power in the gesture that made both Dan and Ylian submit to her.  
“My dear sweet Em, I don't need babysitting.”  
Takeshi couldn't resist joining the teasing, though Emelie wasn't the one to bite.  
“Oh no you don't. An alpha should not be about without a beta at their side. And those elders of yours may try something.”  
“Hai hai Danny.”  
A split second later Takeshi found himself on the receiving end of a rather potent jolt of electricity courtesy of Dan's tail that had snuck around and down Takeshi's spine.  
“Come on love. No need to abuse your poor mate like this.”  
As usual there was no pity to be had for Takeshi, quite the opposite as everyone instantly ganged up and supported Dan which made Takeshi huff and grumble about how cruel they were.  
The way his aura reached out and wrapped around them belied his words though.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A Change of Plans_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Wow, look at these koi! They're amazing. So pretty.”  
“Hmm?”  
Takeshi found himself being dragged to a huge display tank in the pet store that Nelly had insisted they visit to pick up a few items for the crow.  
“Ah, those are _Hirenagagoi_.”  
“Eeh, hi... hire... what?”  
Nelly gave him a look that was half confusion, half annoyance, which made Takeshi snicker at her.  
“Hirenagagoi, also known as longfin koi, water dragon, or butterfly koi. They are quite popular in the states, though they never managed to gain much popularity here in Japan.”  
“Well I think they are much prettier than the regular koi!”  
“Would you like a few? I can have a pond prepared for you or they can live in the pond in the inner garden.”  
Nelly's giddy energy was plenty enough answer so Takeshi called for the attention of one of the store workers to help them select and purchase a few of the koi.

“Have they been sexed?”  
Takeshi figured they might as well purchase a mix of male and female fish, if he had his way Nelly would be around for a very long time and koi breeding could be a suitable hobby for long lived creatures such as himself and his house.  
Koi breeding was an artform and the oldest recorded Japanese koi, that was not a blessed or of demonic origin, lived to be over 200 years old.  
“Iie.”  
Nelly's somewhat disappointed energy almost made Takeshi smile, the answer might have seemed like it was a bad one, but in fact it was the one Takeshi wanted, sexed females tended to be significantly more expensive and harder to obtain.  
 _“Don't worry Nel, that was the answer I wanted. It means we will be able to obtain females at a more reasonable price. I will be able to tell their sex once I get a chance inspect the individual fish.”_  
Most creatures had a noticeable difference in energy between males and females, and in simple creatures such as the koi that difference was very distinct and easy to feel if he had a chance to touch it.  
“Dan, why don't you take Hugin and go see if you can find those bird items that Nel wanted?”  
The not so subtle hint that he wanted to be alone with Nelly was met with some amused snickers as the two walked away to do as asked.

While the a few store assistants used a net to coral all the fish to one end of the large tank Takeshi brought out a tasuki-band and tied back the sleeves of his haori before washing and sanitizing his hand and arms up to the elbow, he intended to handle all the fish personally during the selection to determine the sexes.  
“Nel, is there any of the colors or patterns you don't want?”  
It would be easier to spot the choice koi if they removed the unwanted ones first.  
“Well, those red and white ones are a bit, well, boring.”  
Her hushed tone trigger a flare of pride, she had picked up on Japanese social cues very well and was now keeping her voice low as to not offend or embarrass the store and its workers.  
“All of the red and white's or would you like a closer look at the white ones with just a red dot on their heads?”  
“Nah, none of them seem interesting.”  
“How about the metallic looking ones?”  
“Nah.”  
“As you wish.”  
She just huffed at his teasing tone  
 _“We are currently not interested in Kohaku patterns, Kokahu Tancho included, Hariwake or Kikusui, could you remove those from the selection please?”_  
Takeshi relayed her wishes to the staff in Japanese and they quickly used shallow nets to move the unwanted koi to the other side of the net barrier while Nelly looked at the remaining selection.  
“Could you ask them to remove those with those blue grayish scales on their back and orange sides?”  
“Of course.”  
He instructed the staff to remove the _Asagi_ patterned koi as well before returning his focus to Nelly and her selection.  
“How about the _Shusui_ or _Matsuba_?”  
“And those are?”  
“ _Shusui_ are the ones that look a bit like the _Asagi_ they are removing now, but with bigger black marks and no noticeable scaling. And _Matsuba_ are the metallic ones with black scales or netting on the back.”  
”Let's skip the shushu ones and keep the others.”  
“ _Shusui_.”  
He corrected gently which earned him a bit of a glare.

After a bit of debating they also removed the Kujaku, Ochina Shigure and Goromo patterned koi before starting to pick from the ones that remained.  
“Can I have a closer look at those black and white ones?”  
A nod and a few instructions in Japanese later Nelly found herself looking into a tub with a handful of koi.  
“These are called Kumonryu.”  
Another tub containing a different version of black and white koi quickly joined the first.  
“And these are Kikokuryu.”  
“Oh, I really like these. Remove the others please.”  
Takeshi asked the staff to remove all Kumonryu and bring up all the Kikokuryu for a closer look.  
Once all the koi with the desired pattern had been placed into tuba Takeshi began sorting through them, picking each one up so that Nelly could get a good look at them, and while he did he also made sure to determine if they were male or female.

Much to Dan's annoyance they spent several hours in the store selecting koi and in the end they bought 30 of them, 25 females and 5 males that Takeshi arranged to have delivered to the Kiryu estate in Okinawa.  
By having them delivered to a location in Japan and then transfer them to their end location by their own means they would be able to evade export regulations and quarantines, Takeshi had already made sure the fish were healthy and a few additions to their diet and water during transport would ensure they stayed that way.

 


	6. Mothers & Daughters

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“She is teasing her, isn't she?”  
Takeshi kept his voice low and struggled to suppress his snickers as he and Hugin watched Nelly scold the young crow for making a mess of the fruit-bowl on the bar.  
“Of course, she's a crow after all.”  
The crow had quickly learned how to navigate Nelly's rooms despite having it's broken wing tied down against its body and now it was constantly getting into all kinds of mischief.

With the crow properly scolded Nelly turned her attention back to the males who had made themselves comfortable in the couch of her sitting room and the way she looked at them had both of them sucking in a breath.  
Mindful of pack instincts she approached Takeshi first and straddling his lap she trailed kisses along his jaw while removing his clothes so she could dig her nails into him.  
“Oh, eager are we?”  
She ignored his words in favor of taking his hand and using one of his claws to make a small cut on his chest and lick up the few drops of blood that formed before giving him a searing kiss, but when he was about grab her to return the kiss she darted away with a laugh and turned her focus to Hugin.  
“Tease...”  
Takeshi grumbled and complained quite a bit, but he made no move to reclaim her attention, instead he made himself comfortable and watched as she gave Hugin a similar treatment, though quite a bit gentler.  
He was curious to see if Nelly and Hugin would actually get as far as to having sex, or if Hugin would get overwhelmed once again and flee to his raven form.

Takeshi rarely reflected on it, but the reality was that despite having lived for over 2000 years, Hugin and Munin were in fact still very young, in human terms they were barely out of their teens.  
And while Hugin was as sexually active as any healthy demon male he became quite shy when he got emotionally invested, something that Takeshi had originally found somewhat frustrating, but now found to be quite amusing, now that he wasn't the one suffering from blue-balls for it.

He was drawn from his musings with a gasp when a sharp flare of desire and pleasure rippled through his bonds with Hugin, it would seem Nelly wasn't holding back tonight.  
With avid curiosity he watched them, set on figuring out just what she had done to make Hugin react so strongly and it seemed it was her current position that did it, as she leaned in to take Hugin into her mouth she had bared her back to him, and in doing so she had bared the area between her shoulder-blades.  
She didn't have any wings, and thus no mashen to bare, but just baring that area of her back was clearly enough to set off Hugin's instincts, another intense surge of emotions when Hugin placed his hand between her shoulder-blades and she arched into the touch confirmed Takeshi's observations.  
Takeshi had gone down on Hugin more than once, he quite enjoyed seeing his partners coming undone, but his own alpha nature had always demanded that he place Hugin in a submissive position, forcing the angel to lay on his back, and in that position Hugin didn't get much of a view of Takeshi's back.  
Nelly on the other hand had allowed Hugin to remain sitting, placing him in a more dominant position, and allowing him an excellent view of her back.  
Taking in the details of how Hugin held his wings further confirmed things as he no longer held them in the usual neutral position, instead they had shifted into a more dominant position.

Like most winged demons the Obsidian angels were not huge fans of what humans would call _The Missionary_ , laying on their backs was somewhat uncomfortable for a winged demon, it was however fairly common among temporary partners as exposing the mashen required a high level of trust.  
Among long term partners, partners that trusted each-other, the female, or weaker, more submissive one would be on their knees, and their partner mounting them from behind, fully exposing the mashen to the dominant partner.

Sensing Takeshi's attention Hugin glanced over to him, which soon made Nelly look as well and before he knew it she was on her hands and knees, crawling toward him and pushing his hands away while presenting herself to Hugin in a rather enticing manner.  
Seeing her before him in the way of his kind set Hugin's instincts on fire, but he still hesitated a bit, well aware that such positions were commonly frowned upon among humans.  
 _“What are you waiting for, a written invitation?”_  
Nelly's familiar relayed her words as she currently had her mouth full and the totally dumbfounded look on Hugin's face made Takeshi snort at him which made Nelly punish him by biting down pretty hard, not that he actually minded.  
The teasing words did work as intended though as they made Hugin snap out of his stupor and finally claim what was offered.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The entire Hawaii estate was brimming with nervous energy as everyone eagerly waited for any news about Jenna and her daughter.  
Since the baby had not shifted into a human form and had wings they had gone ahead with the planned C-section and now everyone was waiting to hear of the result, and maybe get a chance to see the baby.

It was late afternoon when Takeshi finally emerged from the set of basement rooms that had been transformed into a medical facility complete with an operating room, he was clearly exhausted, but beaming with pride.  
“A healthy daughter named Isabelle Diane Addams has been born to House Shamarai.”  
Jenna had insisted that their daughter be named in Diane's memory and Isabelle after Jenna's grandmother.  
He quickly informed them that mother and daughter were both fine and were resting comfortably, though they would have to wait a few days to see the baby girl.  
Just like mortal felines the baby had been born blind and deaf, triggering intense protective instincts in Jenna that simply would not allow anyone close to their little one as long as she was so utterly defenseless.  
The moment she woke from anesthesia Jenna had chased Emelie, Wizard and Rhook, Sorcha's father, from the room and was barely tolerating Sonya, Wraith and Takeshi.  
Wizard and Rhook had been chased off as any unrelated males were seen as a threat, Takeshi was tolerated since the girl was his, making her instincts consider him reasonably safe, though she refused to allow him close for very long.  
Sonya and Wraith were tolerated simply because they were female and human so she didn't consider them a threat, though the faint traces of demonic energy in Wraith's aura made Jenna somewhat suspicious of her.

“When can we see her?”  
Sarah and Maria were practically bouncing around him.  
“You will probably have to wait a week or two for little _Belle_ to open her eyes before Jenna will be comfortable letting anyone close.”  
“Aww...”  
“Now now girls, we don't want to stress Jenna or Belle.”  
“We know.”  
Moments later the disappointed energy switched back to rambunctious as they both pounced at him and congratulated him on the first true child of House Shamarai.  
Ylian's spawns, while his, had not been born within a mating so they belonged to the house of their pana, house Imora and Seia's children were considered to be of House Shamarai but were not his, as were Maria and Sarah, and they had no idea about the fate of Sheealia's eggs, so Isabelle was, for now atleast, the first trueborn child of his house and it was an occasion to celebrate.

One by one his house, his friends, his family congratulated him on the addition to his house, all with various degrees of teasing.  
“I say this is an occasion that calls for a proper toast!”  
Sonya brought out a bottle of champagne and gave it a good shake before aiming it at Takeshi and giving him a proper shower.  
There was some grumbling about wasting perfectly good alcohol but Takeshi could tell from the scent that Sonya had used a bottle of fairly cheap champagne to shower him, saving the quality bottles for drinking.

When Nelly approached to congratulate him he seized the opportunity to grab her and kiss her senseless and her embarrassed squawk had everyone snickering, she had been avoiding both him and Hugin since their return to the island, clearly concerned about how Ethan would react to it.  
“Nelly, did you really think I didn't know you have been sleeping with Take and Hugin? Not to mention I suspect you will end up in bed with Ylian at least once as well.”  
“You.. You're not mad?”  
“Of course not. Besides, if I was to be upset with anyone it would be him.”  
Ethan nodded toward Takeshi.  
“I know just how charming, how insanely compelling he can be when he wants something. But I also know his honor won't allow him to take advantage of you. He promised he would make sure of that.”  
Nelly's instant relief made Takeshi and Hugin both release a sigh of relief.  
“Though, I would suggest we keep it from your mother for a few more years.”  
With her concern about her father's reaction alleviated she quickly found her way to Hugin's side and snuggled in under his wing and for a brief moment Takeshi felt a flicker of envy.  
Over the past few weeks Nelly had quickly grown closer to Hugin and Takeshi had a feeling she would ultimately choose the angel over him, he didn't begrudge either of them the relationship, but a part of him still wished she would choose to place him above Hugin.

Takeshi only stayed for a few toasts before instincts drove him to head back to the recovery room turned den to watch over Jenna and the cub, even in the safety of their island, their home, his instincts would not allow him to be far from his mate and newborn cub.  
Her instincts didn't allow him too close though so he took up guard outside the door with his senses on high alert, ready to do anything to keep her safe and comfortable.

Shortly after sunset Amanda approached him with her aura carefully restrained.  
“Alpha, you should rest. I will keep watch and wake you should anything change.”  
She didn't let the flash of fangs deter her, instead she just tilted her head to bare her neck to him and continued to move closer and when she took a seat next to him he huffed and gave her throat a nip before making himself comfortable on the sofa using her lap as a pillow.  
He knew he was sending mixed signals, but his instincts were in a bit of a mess, putting his head in her lap and sleeping was a sign of trust, but at the same time it was a sign of distrust as the position made it impossible for her to move without waking him.  
She didn't care though, they had talked about how various instincts might flare due to the newborn and she was more than happy to just settle with him accepting her presence.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“As much as I agree with keeping Jenna safe, calm and happy, we really need to finalize the plans for the big announcement.”  
Dan's teasing grumble at Takeshi's distraction had the others snickering, but agreeing, the medical room was not a very comfortable place to hold a meeting in, especially when Takeshi refused to allow them close to the door to the room where Jenna was, and the only seating just happened to be along the wall with the door.  
“Look, I know you're distracted, but the sooner we get this done the sooner you can go back to being grumpy brood-guard.”  
Takeshi rewarded Dan telling him off by baring his fangs at him with a low growl.  
“No, I won't back off. I won't come any closer either. Just snap out of it and work with us will you?!”

It took a few minutes, but eventually Takeshi shook his head and focused on them properly.  
“Ah, sorry about that. Where were we?”  
“We were trying to decide how we should do the presentation of the secession.”  
Dan sighed and shook his head at the situation.  
“Ah yes... I was thinking that we might as well introduce everyone to _Lord Shamarai_ while we are at it.”  
“So, I guess Ylian will be doing some acting?”  
“Indeed, yi will pretend to be the human me while I will be the dragon me. Yi shouldn't have any problems imitating my human aura as long as we are near each other.”  
Ylian's skill at energy manipulation would allow them to generate a layer of energy over their own aura that would mimic Takeshi's restrained, or human, aura to a casual observer and would stand up to some prodding long enough for Takeshi or Ylian to react and raise shields that should make the offender back off.  
Ylian was staying quiet, trying not to stir Takeshi's instincts, the fact that they had the spawns together made Takeshi's instincts wary of Ylian as among the demonic beasts it was not uncommon for a partner from an earlier breeding to kill offspring from a new one to try to secure the position of their own offspring.  
Intellectually and logically he knew that Ylian would never do anything to harm Jenna or Isabelle, he knew that the greater demons rarely committed such actions but his instincts were more beastly.  
Obeying to those instincts helped him maintain more control and allowed him to suppress some of the more troublesome urges.  
“So, big announcement, speeches and the whole shebang?”  
“Indeed.”  
Takeshi's deep sigh caused another round of snickering before they set to work on the details, trying to get as much as possible done while Takeshi was in control of himself, they knew they would only have an hour or two before Jenna began nursing Isabelle again, which would trigger another round of overprotective alpha.

They could have waited until Jenna emerged with Isabelle, but pushing Takeshi a bit helped him stay in control, forcing him to focus on tasks that required intellect rather than instinct kept him from succumbing to his baser instincts.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Jenna emerging from the recovery room with Isabelle was, if he said so himself, the best birthday gift Takeshi had ever received.  
Burrowing his face into the soft fur on the cubs belly he inhaled deeply to get a better sense for Isabelle's scent, but the little rascal was more interested in playing so she began swatting at his face which only caused a rather silly grin as he continued to sift through his daughter's scent.  
“We made a pretty darn amazing kid.”  
He leaned over to kiss Jenna which earned him a mewl of objection from the somewhat fuzzy bundle and made the others snicker and tease him.

Isabelle was more mature than a normal cub would be at 2 weeks, but it was expected, between Takeshi's experience with Sarisha's cubs and what Rhook had explained about how Sphinx matured they knew she would probably mentally mature very rapidly for the first few weeks until she reached an equivalent of a 4 month old cub at around 4 weeks age.  
She would continue to mature physically until she was about 10 weeks old then pause and remain at that level for several years before slowly starting to mature again.  
The thump of Isabelle's tail against his neck made Takeshi give her the first lesson in pack manners by flaring his aura and giving her ear a nip.  
Just like her mother Isabelle had venom glands in her tail and the way she had thumped her tail at Takeshi had been an instinctive attempt to sting him, fortunately she didn't actually have a stinger yet, just a bone spur, the stinger wouldn't develop until she reached puberty.  
She did have paralytic venom in her claws though, and she wouldn't learn to control that for some time, but fortunately Takeshi was immune to that, as was Jenna.

Once Takeshi had properly welcomed his mate and daughter the other approached to welcome Isabelle and get a feeling for her aura and scent, and once they were done Nelly approached slowly, unsure how Jenna would react to her.  
“Your daughter being a large kitten with wings is going to take some getting used to. But I gotta say, she is the most adorable thing I have ever seen.”  
Leaning in she caught the flailing paws so that she wouldn't get scratched, then darted in and gave Isabelle a quick kiss on the nose and the look of cross-eyed surprise caused quite a few coos and laughs.  
“If you ever need a babysitter I volunteer.”  
“Nel, you may want to hold off on making such promises until after she learns to fly.”  
Jenna's teasing warning had everyone groaning and snickering.  
During their visits to the demon realm they had all had the questionable pleasure of helping babysit winged children and while it could be fun as they had the same knack for getting into everything as any other child, it was also a lot of hard work.  
“Aw, you wouldn't be a bad girl, would you?”  
Nelly coed at Isabelle while the others snorted in amused disagreement.  
“She's Take's, there's no way she will be anything but a hyper energetic bundle of trouble.”  
Jenna's mock complaint caused another round of teasing that didn't end until Angel announced that they better start eating before the rotisserie gong tenderloin became overcooked.

“Jenna, can Belle taste regular food?”  
Nelly had a very curious little cub crawling in her lap and sniffing at her food.  
“Not yet. She's just starting to get her first teeth and won't have all her milk-teeth for another couple of weeks.”  
“Okay... Sorry sweetie, but your mommy says no.”  
She scooped up Isabelle and nuzzled her before handing her over to Takeshi so she could eat her food without having to fend off a curious cub attempting to steal things.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Isabelle quickly proved to be every bit the troublemaker that Jenna had predicted, constantly keeping everyone on their toes.  
“Well, I guess we know why lions help each other watch the cubs.”  
Amanda sighed deeply as she handed the energetic bundle over to Munin and Melissa.  
“Well, they do say it takes a village to raise a child...”  
“I know, but this is silly.”  
“Mhm..”  
Melissa agreed with an amused hum while watching Munin fly after Isabelle in his raven form as she tried to stalk one of the many sanctuary creatures that called the inner garden home.  
At three months of age her feathers had come in fully and she was just learning how to fly, which made keeping up with her, and keeping her safe, quite a chore.

“I don't believe it. How the hell does she do that?”  
Dan complained with a huff when Isabelle almost instantly settled down in Nelly's arms and went to sleep.  
“She's human, that's how.”  
Rhook had visited to give Isabelle a quick checkup and remained to share a meal.  
“What does that have to do with it?”  
“Isabelle feeds of your excess energy, not enough for creatures with your level of power to notice, but enough to keep her with an almost inexhaustible energy. Nelly does not have any energy for Isabelle to take so she settles down to rest instead.”  
“Oh, I see. And let me guess, the way Take's scent clings to Nel makes Belle feel safe?”  
“Indeed, Nelly also carries enough of your pack's energy signature for an inexperienced creature like Isabelle to identify her as being pack.”  
Nelly's frequent sex with Takeshi and Hugin infused her deeply with their scent and even traces of their energy, she also tended to carry Ylian's scent and faint hint's of their energy from the frequent teasing and propositions, though she had yet to accept them.  
“I guess that's another reason to be happy she decided to fight her mom to get to stay here.”  
“It is rare for humans to be so comfortable with demons, with demon ways. It is a trait to be valued.”  
“Take has a knack for finding and collecting the strange and rare.”  
“I have visited the Shamarai Estate, it is hard not to notice.”  
The diplomatic answer made Dan laugh, which in turn made Nelly shush him and threaten him with untold horrors if Isabelle woke up.

Having Nelly around was good for Hugin, having someone who put him above all others, even above Takeshi, helped boost his confidence, and it further reduced his raven episodes, though Dan suspected Takeshi missed how he would seek comfort.  
It had been a bit of a close call though.

With the concept design completed Ethan had prepared to leave and join Susan in Honolulu but Nelly didn't want to leave the island, the people she had come to see as family, and her lovers.

 

.·:*¨¨*:·.-Flashback-.·:*¨¨*:·.

“Please Dad! I want to stay here, stay with Hugin, Take and the others.”  
“I know Nel but we really need to talk about it with your mother, get her to agree.”  
“But she hates them! She will never agree...”  
“She can be... Passionate, about her opinions, but I think we can convince her of the benefits of letting you live here.”  
“Yeah right...”  
Nelly's aura carried a heavy shadow of defeat which made Hugin wrap his wings around her and try to soothe her with soft coo's while at the same time trying to hide his own fear and despair by focusing it all toward Takeshi.  
“Sweetie, don't give up just yet, Take and I have been talking about how to convince your mother to let you move out and we have a plan.”  
“What kind of plan?”  
She was still sounding rather mollified, but at least the heavy defeat had faded from her aura which made Hugin relax, and the way she rubbed her face against his wings helped as well.  
“Well, we were hoping to use education, free education, as a lure. But I think it's better if Take explains it.”

Takeshi explained that he would offer to help her catch up with her high-school classes, as well as help her add extra credit to ensure she could pick any major, and have her pick of colleges should she want to go with an actual campus college rather than selecting online courses.  
“Of course you don't actually have to go through with a college if you don't want to, the offer, if she goes for it, will buy you time to reach your majority.”  
The real lure however would be an offer to pay all and any fees such as tuition, boarding, books and tutors.  
Ethan wasn't proud to admit it, but his wife did suffer from one major personality flaw, she would jump at any chance to save money as long as it didn't infringe on her ability to spend on her own interests, or spend on appearances.  
The prospect of having Nelly attend a prestigious education without actually having to pay for it would be one of those things that Susan would probably be more than happy to go along with.  
He didn't mention though that he and Ethan had agreed that if it seemed like Susan wouldn't go for it he would use suggestion and command to make her give in, Nelly's desire to stay was what mattered.

In the end it had barely taken any effort to get Susan to agree which had Ethan and Nelly surprised, and Takeshi suspicious, but he was not about to start questioning her and risk her revoking the easy agreement.

.·:*¨¨*:·.-End Flashback-.·:*¨¨*:·.

 

“Enjoy it while it lasts.”  
“Fuck!”  
Dan fell off the railing he was sitting on when Takeshi whispered in his ear, he had been distracted watching Nelly and Isabelle and the conversation with Rhook which had allowed Takeshi to sneak up on him.  
“Dan, language!”  
There were a few complaints about his choice of words, but laughter was the main reaction and when he looked up he was met by the sight of a grinning Takeshi leaning against the railing.  
“Don't you think you're a bit too old for stuff like that?”  
“What? I didn't even push you...”  
 _“Gha! Du är totalt jävla omöjlig!!”_  
Takeshi was about to answer Dan's Swedish rant when a sharp whiff of fear distracted them both and brought the focus to Nelly.  
“What do you mean by _While it lasts_?”  
Takeshi cursed silently while jumping across the railing, this was not how he had planned to have this particular conversation with her, for starters he had intended for Ethan to be there when he did.  
“Nelly, you have no doubt already figured out that Hugin and I both love you.”  
She just nodded numbly but she did relax somewhat when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.  
“This love is just one of many things we have in common when it comes to you. Another very important thing we have in common is that we don't want to lose you to the frailty that is mortality.”

He gave Jenna a slight nudge to take Isabelle, he wanted her to shield their daughter from what he was about to do.  
Taking a small step back from Nelly he dropped his emotional shields and for once he did nothing to mask the darker side of his emotions, this once he would show her everything openly, even if it caused her pain.  
He watched calmly as her eyes widened as she began to truly feel him, to truly see him and he sent a small flicker of gratitude to Hugin when the angel stepped up behind Nelly to offer her support.  
He didn't like having to do things like this, but ultimately Nelly needed it, she needed the confirmation of their feelings for her before he could offer her the Blessing.  
With her insecurities there was a risk that she would interpret a straight up offer of the Blessing as a sign that she was not good enough as a human so he needed her to feel the raw pain that the idea of losing her to mortality brought both him and Hugin.  
He could feel the others hover at the edge of his awareness, but they stayed back, allowing Nelly the time she needed to comprehend what Takeshi was trying to show her.

At first she looked almost scared, then with awareness came the tears as his pain slowly invaded her, the effect was not as powerful as it would have been if she had the power to form a true bond, but she was definitely feeling him.  
After a few more minutes the painful awareness slowly faded into understanding, and then finally acceptance and when she reached up to his face he realized he had cried as well and he gave her a soft smile.  
“I'm okay now love, you go ahead and take care of Hugin, he is a bit upset with me right now.”  
No further prompting was needed and Takeshi watched while Nelly helped Hugin calm down a bit before he spoke up again.  
“Now, I had intended to save this for when your father came to pick you up for your birthday, but I guess we need to change the plans a bit.”  
“Okay, that's not scary at all...”  
“Don't worry, it's nothing bad.”  
“Well, you better speak before I lose my nerve again.”  
Thankfully the nervousness was mostly an act, but Takeshi did as she asked anyway.

“Nelly, we would like you to consider becoming like us. To consider casting away your mortality, rejecting time's hold over your body. Become a daughter of the Mother.”  
“I... I...”  
Nelly was clearly quite overwhelmed by the offer.  
“Don't worry love, I'm not asking you to answer me now, quite the contrary, I want to teach you what it all means before you make up your mind.”  
“What about Dad?”  
“I intend to make him the same offer when he comes to pick you up for your birthday.”  
“But not Mom.”  
It wasn't really a question but Takeshi answered her anyway.  
“No, not Susan, I'm sorry.”  
“The change won't alter someone's personality, will it?”  
“Not in any significant manner no, the added instincts may cause a few minor changes, but a person's core remains the same.”  
“No one can blame you for not wanting Mom around the way she acts toward you guys. But I don't think Dad will accept as long as Mom is around.”  
“I know he won't but we have ways to keep him healthy, to make sure he ages well in case he chooses to accept one day.”  
“When Mom is gone...”  
“When she is gone.”  
Takeshi agreed softly before gently turning her back around and pushing her into Hugin's arms, he would step back a bit and allow Hugin and Nelly to soothe each other, to deepen their bonds.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“What kind of creature do you think I'll become?”  
No one had been surprised that Nelly made up her mind about the Blessing almost immediately and would not allow herself be dissuaded by any of the downsides of the change.  
“I don't know sweetie. Now that I have learned control the Blessing is pure change and power. It will simply give you the means to become whatever suits you the best.”  
“I.. I'm a bit scared...”  
“It's okay to be scared, it's a bit change after all.”  
“What if I become something like a blobfish, or a warthog?”  
“Then you will be the prettiest little blob or hog in the whole wide world.”  
Okay, maybe it wasn't entirely nice to tease her like that, but how was he to resist when she gave him such a perfect invitation?  
She froze for a moment before leveling him with an affronted glare and punching his arm.  
“You're horrible!”  
Takeshi just smiled at her though, he could feel her surprised annoyance give way to bubbling amusement and a few moments later she broke down laughing.  
“Feel better?”  
“Mhm, thanks.”  
“Now, will you try not to worry so much. It doesn't matter what for your soul decided to use the power for, you will still be the same beautiful girl that stole a piece of not just my heart, but the heart of my shy, black winged mate.”  
“Speaking of that featherbrain, any idea if they will be back soon?”  
“I don't know, depends on how long it takes them to load the birds into the Blackout. Maybe Angel can give you a progress report.”

After saving the crow in Ginza Nelly had studied wildlife rescue and rehabilitation rather avidly, wanting to know as much as she could about giving the crow the best chances to recover, though she had been somewhat sad to learn that it would probably never be able to return to the wild.  
During her search for information she came across a Hawaiian project to try to repopulate the Hawaiian Crow, the native corvid had gone extinct in the wild back in 2002, but thanks to captive breeding programs there were a few hundred birds still around, but they were having a hard time reintroducing them into the wild, in part due to the critically endangered Hawaiian hawk.  
The native raptor had declined steadily in the past 50 years and was also the subject for captive breeding programs.  
One of the major projects was based at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge and they bred both crows and hawks but were having little success reintroducing them into the wild.  
When Nelly found out that they were looking for people to work with the birds and try to get them to settle in the wild she had begged Takeshi to do something to help and in the end he had agreed to take on a group of young birds and see if they could help them.  
Between their different abilities they might have a chance to make a difference.  
Hugin and Munin both had a limited ability to communicate with wild birds, Takeshi could give them traces of the blessing, increasing their resilience to disease, like the avian malaria that was suspected to be one of the reasons behind the Hawaiian crow's extinction in the wild.  
Their island would also be a safe haven from predators as the Mother had agreed to manipulate the hunting behavior of the predators, they would simply not attack the vulnerable crows and hawks.  
The protection would of course not be forever, the birds needed to learn to live free after all, but it would give them a chance to adapt.

“Angel, could you tell me how Hugin and Dan are doing please?”  
“Of course Nelly, they are almost done loading the birds and should be back in time for dinner.”  
“Any idea what is taking so long?”  
There was a moment of silence before Angel answered.  
“Let's just say the birds were not too happy about being placed into transport cages.”  
Angel's diplomatic choice of words made Nelly snicker and ask if she had video of the spectacle.  
“Of course. I dispatched my swarmers for full 3D footage, I can assemble it to a holographic show later should you wish to review the events.”  
“Angel you're the **best**!”  
“Thank you Nelly, I aim to please.”  
Takeshi smiled and shook his head at Angel's obviously happy tone, the AI was a sucker for honest praise.  
“Of course she's the best, she's Daniels' brainchild after all. The daughter of D-Rex.”  
“She's yours too.”  
Nelly added when Takeshi didn't mention himself as one of Angel's parents.  
“I guess she is in way.”  
“Of course I'm your daughter as well. Without you I would just be code on a harddrive.”  
 _“Arigatou gozaimasu, musume.”_  
“I guess it's true then, you speak Japanese when you're at a loss for words.”  
Nelly teased gently and was rewarded by Takeshi pulling her in tightly, he couldn't hug Angel since she didn't have a body yet so he took the next best thing, hoping that Angel would understand without him explaining.  
 _“Thanks, Dad.”  
_ Whispered words over his com implant along with the way her projection seemed to merge with Nelly told him she had understood and it made him smile.  
“You know, this is a bit awkward. Having my lover hold me like a daughter.”  
Nelly's grumbled complaint made both Takeshi and Angel laugh, and the moment broke, but it was one of those moments that Takeshi knew he would never forget.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi and Hugin watched as Nelly encouraged her crow to fly some more by throwing her pieces of food high into the air making the young bird work a bit for her food, making sure she exercised her wing properly.  
The break had healed nicely, but the inactivity had caused some muscle atrophy which needed to be recovered.  
“That's good work, she is doing great.”  
Takeshi praised Nelly's progress when the crow made a nice display or aerial agility to catch the scrap of meat that she had tossed for her.  
The young crow still lacked stamina, but the display of agility and control was promising as it showed that the wing had healed perfectly and wasn't causing any discomfort or pain.  
“Kara Kara! Come come Kara!”  
Takeshi held out a piece of papaya as he called for the crow using the name Nelly had given her based on _Karasu_ , the Japanese word for crows and ravens, he found it a bit silly, but the crow seemed happy enough to listen and answer to it so it had stuck.  
With the injured wing healed Kara was no longer as afraid of Takeshi as she had been at the start, she was still wary of his predator nature, which was a good sign as it showed that she had good instincts, but she was willing to trust him enough to approach and take food when offered.  
Though it wasn't really him she trusted, she trusted Nelly, Hugin and the baby phoenix to show her what was dangerous and what was safe.

“You have done a really good job with her, she might even be able to be released back into the wild.”  
“I know I should, but I don't want to lose her...”  
Nelly smelled of tears and pain which made both Takeshi and Hugin move closer to soothe her and even Kara was picking up on it and started to beg for attention.  
Takeshi watched as she instantly began sifting through the crow's feathers to soothe her and noted the way it calmed both of them down.  
After a moment's consideration he reached out for the Mother.  
 _“This crow, may I have your permission to change her? To make her a blessed like the wolves of Amarok's pack or the dolphins that follow Stormborn around?”  
_ _ **“You may, but remember, young Nelly will need to learn to handle loss.”**_ _  
“I know, and she knows as well. Not that it makes it any easier.”  
_ _ **“I don't think there will be any issues for her to deal with it. Remember, she may be mature in some areas, but she is still young and has quite a bit of growing left to do.”**_ _  
_Takeshi didn't bother answering as he could feel the presence of the Avatar retreat from his mind.  
“Nelly, if you want me to I can alter her, give her a piece of the Blessing to make her like the dolphins.”  
“Really?!”  
“Really.”  
“Please!”  
She instantly perked up, but before Takeshi could move to touch the crow she placed a hand on his, stopping his movement.  
“Is there any way you can ask her if she wants to change? Make sure we don't turn her into something she doesn't want to be?”  
“I will ask the Mother if she can relay the question to Kara in some way.”  
Turning within he had another short conversation with the Mother before asking Nelly to hold Kara up in front of her.  
“The Mother will relay our question, if Kara accepts she will come to me and display submission.”

There was a long silence and Kara was obviously considering something, it took a few minutes before she jumped over to Takeshi's hand, spread her wings slightly and bowed her head in submission, no doubt directed by the Mother on how to show her acceptance.  
“Easy now Kara.”  
Takeshi tutted and cooed at the crow while sifting through the feathers on her chest before using a claw to prick her skin and take a drop of her blood, it would help him adjust the power in his own blood to do what was needed.  
Since Kara was so small he couldn't use a bite to change her, instead he would feed her his blood.  
After placing the uncharacteristically calm crow on his arm he cut deeply into the pad of his index finger and offered the bleeding finger to the crow who eagerly opened her beak to beg.  
The eager sounds when she took his finger and fed in the way a chick would made Nelly coo about how adorable she was, and Takeshi could hear Hugin's soft chirping, a sound meant to calm a nestling.  
He allowed her to take as much blood as she wanted to and when she was done she quickly hopped back over to Nelly and settled on her arm where she tucked her head under her wing and went to sleep.

“Is that it?”  
“For the most part. Now she will sleep and change, and when she wakes up she will be a blessed crow.”  
“Oh, I think it's starting, look at her feathers.”  
Since Kara was a Japanese jungle crow, or large-billed crow she had the typical iridescence in her feathers, but as she was a young female it had not been very pronounced, it was more pronounced in adult males.  
But now her color was rapidly changing, becoming even deeper black and the faint iridescence was quickly growing far more pronounced, giving her feathers a vivid sheen of various blue and purple hues.  
“She's becoming even prettier, and I think she's getting bigger...”  
“Mhm, that's normal. Blessed animals are significantly larger than their mortal counterparts.”  
“Will she change a lot?”  
“Not really, visually she won't change more than this, more vivid colors, larger and her beak and claws will be sharper and stronger. The main change will be her mind, and near immortality.”  
“Can you explain more about how her mind will change?”  
There was a hint of concern in Nelly's voice, clearly worried that Kara would no longer be content to stay with her.  
“Crows are highly intelligent animals, they are capable of reasoning and complex problem solving in multiple steps, including the use of tools to achieve their goals. They have a complex language and are, as you have seen, able to learn new words and associate them to items, individuals and actions.”  
“Mhm, she understood just fine if I told her to fly to you, or to Hugin and she never mixed it up.”  
“Her intelligence will increase significantly as will her linguistic ability, she will be capable of holding a fairly normal conversation, though in many ways it will be like talking to a child, she is still an animal and will understand the world from an animal perspective.”  
“She's also a crow, so her crow characteristics will get stronger, right?”  
“Mhm...”  
Takeshi's tone held a slight hint of amused apprehension, crows were teasers and troublemakers and those traits would no doubt be enhanced greatly from the increased mental capacity.  
“So now we won't have just a clever winged tease, but a genius winged tease?”  
“Indeed... And it will be your duty to teach her right from wrong, you have become her mother in a way.”  
“I will, I promise.”

It didn't take long for Kara to complete her change, at least physically, mentally she would continue to change over the next few weeks, rapidly picking up new knowledge and developing a full and fluid language.  
When the black head popped out from under the wing the eyes held a clear awareness and intelligence that had not been there before.  
“Hello Kara.”  
Nelly greeted the crow and was rewarded with happy caws that quickly morphed into words, though still with distinct otherness to them.  
“NelNel!”  
Kara hopped into Nelly's lap and began pushing her head against her jaw, begging for attention.  
“Nel scratch.”  
“I'd love to Kara, but you need to calm down, your talons are hurting my leg.”  
The grip instantly loosened to keep the sharp talons from digging in and Kara lowered her head in apology.  
“Kara sorry, Kara sorry, Kara shame.”  
“Don't worry Kara, you need some time to get used to what you have become.”  
Takeshi soothed the overwhelmed crow while Nelly scratched the offered head and before long she was significantly calmer.  
“Nel save Kara, Kara happy.”  
“Thank you Kara. I'm glad I managed to save you, glad you're happy.”  
Takeshi had explained that it would take a while for Kara to learn a more full language and that she might get a bit frustrated at first until she learned the finer points of grammar and that the best they could do for her was to ignore any oddities and just keep talking to her in a natural manner.  
It didn't take long though before Kara got bored of being scratched and returned to her usual games, looking for treats and teasing the familiars, trying to get them to play with her.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Take, do you really think I will be able to get into veterinary school?”  
Nelly was seated in Takeshi's study while he helped her with her chemistry to make sure she would be able to get the prerequisites required for the various college courses she would need to become a vet as well as a high enough SAT score to ensure she would have a good chance to get into the sometimes highly competitive courses.  
“I have no doubt in my mind that you have the brains to ace all the classes needed and would become highly skilled vet.”  
“I can hear that _but_ you know.”  
“I know. I'm concerned that you might not have the heart for it. You care so deeply I'm afraid losing patients would break your heart.”  
“I know it will, every time. But every patient I manage to help, to save, will put it right back together.”  
“That's the spirit love.”  
Her determination was a good sign, and her self reflection over how she would react to losing creatures in her care calmed his concern for how she would manage immortality.

“Wow, that test was super hard, I don't think I did very well”  
Nelly sighed deeply as Takeshi read through her latest test together with Angel to see how she had done.  
“Nelly, don't be so hard on yourself, you did great.”  
Angel who had already analyzed the entire test did her best to cheer her up.  
“Really?! I passed?”  
“You didn't just pass, you aced it. Perfect score, and plenty of extra credit material. If you get a passing grade on the last test you will have your A.”

The _Dark War_ had interrupted Nelly's studies and Takeshi had managed to get her High School to agree to allow her to complete the courses through distance studies with him and Angel as supervisors to make sure everything was done properly.  
Due to this she had some catching up to do as her results during the first pats of the course hadn't been too great, there had been the option to have her start over, but Takeshi had convinced her she could do it.  
It had taken quite a bit of work, but it would be a huge boost to her confidence, something she sorely needed.

“How about we go get a few more hours of lab-work in before your father arrives?”  
Takeshi closed the file with Nelly's latest test and sent it to her professor for the final grading.  
“I thought I was done with my lab requirement?”  
“You are, but you are still eligible to register 10 additional hours for extra credit and that's always good to have if you end up in a tight pick.”  
“Oh, okay. Let's go then.”

Takeshi was happy that he had been able to swing her opinion about chemistry lab around completely, their first session she had complained about how horribly boring it was, it would seem her teacher had not been particularly good at making it interesting.  
In order to try to catch her interest he had performed a lot of downright silly experiments, including quite a few _accidents_ , like making an experiment blow up and dye his face a vivid purple that didn't wash off for several days.  
It was all on purpose of course, showing her what could happen if you weren't careful, while making it amusing, taking full advantage of his enhance physiology.  
Fortunately there were only a few mandatory experiments which allowed him to put a lot of focus on doing fun experiments instead, giving her a taste for it.  
As a result of trying to make sure she stayed interested lot of the experiments involved different ways of making stuff blow up, which quite a few times involved Takeshi suffering various indignities such as the purple explosion incident.

“What do say we run a few experiments on endothermic reactions today?”  
“Oh, that sounds like fun. Come on Kara, let's go.”  
The crow immediately took of from her perch and relocated to Nelly's shoulder where she was greeted by an annoyed hiss from Honey which she rewarded by _accidentally_ stuffing her face full of tail feathers, almost making her fall.  
Takeshi and Nelly just snickered at their antics, the two were in fact good friends but enjoyed playing games and teasing.  
“May I suggest that you schedule a few experiments with chemiluminescence as well, and I have a few organic chemistry labs that would look good on your resume for the next batch of classes.”  
Angel added her own suggestions based on her research into both current and historical data on number of students, their grades, application and selection processes as well as several other sources that she used to create a series of projections.  
Projections she used to determine what classes and grades would be needed to maximize Nelly's chances to get accepted to the veterinary medicine classes as well as the classes in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation she was interested in.  
“If think it will help, sure.”  
“I will add it to your curriculum for next week.”  
“Thanks Angel.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Roughly three hours of cold experiments later Dan and Emelie landed the Blackout after going to Honolulu to pick up Ethan for Nelly's birthday.  
They would have a big party on the island the next day, then the day after that Ethan and Nelly would head to Honolulu to spend her birthday with her mother.

It didn't take long before a rather undignified shriek echoed over the island as Nelly greeted her father with a barrage of snowballs that she had made with Takeshi's help as a part of her chemistry lab time.  
“I think I'm starting to agree with your mother, Take is a horrible influence on you.”  
The fact that Ethan was eagerly wrestling Takeshi while trying to shove a handful of semi-frozen slush down the neck of Takeshi's top made his words somewhat ineffective though.  
Satisfied with his revenge on a laughing, and cooperative, Takeshi, Ethan turned on his daughter and put a generous glob of slush down the back of her sundress which earned him a few annoyed caws from a very protective crow.  
“Whoa Kara! Easy girl! I'm not hurting her.”  
“Are Nel okay?”  
Ethan's eyes went impossibly wide when the crow asked his daughter if she was okay, he grammar sounded a bit odd, but she clearly knew what she was saying.  
“What the...?”  
“Yeah, I'm fine Kara, Dad was just teasing me and getting even.”  
“Good. Male better be nice to Kara's Nel.”  
“Don't worry Kara, Dad would never intentionally do anything to hurt me or make me sad. And remember, Dad's name is Ethan.”  
“Wow... I know crows are smart, but this is crazy, what did I miss?.”  
Nelly hadn't told Ethan that Takeshi had changed her crow.  
“Kara isn't a regular crow anymore, Take changed her so I won't have to lose her.”  
Ethan instantly turned to Takeshi and thanked him for making sure the crow would live.  
“And knowing him, thank you Kara, for accepting to change.”  
Kara sat up straighter, obviously enjoying the praise which caused a few teasing quips.  
“Nel saved Kara, so Kara don't want Nel to be sad and Kara like staying with Nel.”  
They had tried but for some reason Kara didn't want to use personal pronouns, instead she just used names which made her speech sound a little odd at times.  
“This is really going to take some getting used to.”  
Ethan's mumbling had everyone, including Kara, laughing at him.  
“Kara, will you be okay with pretending to be a regular crow while we are in Honolulu? It might be dangerous if people realize you are special.”  
“Kara will play, pretend to be mortal. Ethan don't need to worry, Kara am good at games.”  
“I bet you are, they don't call it clever like a crow for nothing.”  
The answering caw was decidedly pleased, it would seem Ethan had managed to further cement a positive image with the crow.

“Ethan, would you join me for a walk please.”  
The evening meal was being cleared from the table and Takeshi took the opportunity to talk to Ethan while everyone else had their hands full with cleaning up, he was off the hook himself since he had done most of the work cooking dinner.  
“Sure, just let me get my plates into the kitchen.”  
“Don't worry about that, the others will take care of it.”  
Ethan just sighed and put his plate down, it would seem Takeshi had something important to talk about, the man had always had a thing for walking whenever he was unsure about the reaction of what he was about to say.  
“Come on Yami, time for a walk.”  
Yami instantly bounced to his feet and was doing his usual jumping circles around Takeshi until they got outside and Takeshi told him to go play, he would stay close though.

“So, what's the big topic that has you concerned?”  
“Getting predictable, am I?”  
Takeshi sighed when Ethan went straight for the throat.  
“Sometimes. So, what's troubling you”  
“You have a few weeks?”  
Ethan just huffed at Takeshi's attempted humor.  
“Well, I guess I should just grab the bull by the horns.”  
“Stalling isn't the best way to do that you know.”  
“Indeed.”  
Takeshi took a deep breath before starting with the first of the topics.  
“I find myself having fallen in love with Nel, and I wish to court her.”  
“Hardly unexpected knowing you. So, Hugin and you both, I hope you don't intend to fight for her attention.”  
Ethan's calm reaction made Takeshi relax as well.  
“No, she has agreed to allow us to share. But Hugin has her favor.”  
“Ow, that's gotta sting a bit.”  
Takeshi's relief to Ethan's lack of reaction to them sharing Nelly was tangible, though there was still an undercurrent of concern that Ethan simply had not grasped the full implication of the words.  
”A bit, but they are a really good match. She is a bit worried about how you and Susan will react though.”  
“I would suggest not letting my wife know, but as far as I'm concerned, it's her choice. If she is comfortable with having both of you, and the two of you are fine with sharing, then I hope you get to have a wonderful life together.”  
“And there comes the second matter we need to talk about, life.”  
He paused a moment to let his aura expand and locate Yami before he continued.

“I have offered her the Blessing and so far she is intent on accepting. There's plenty left for her to learn though, but I doubt she will change her mind.”  
“I guess I need to thank you again then. I was hoping you would find her worthy.”  
There was a sad hint in Ethan's voice that made Takeshi stop and reach for his face.  
“I find you worthy too.”  
“I can't. I know there is no way you will ever find Susan worthy and I understand that, but I hope you understand that I gave her an oath to stay at her side.”  
The scent of sadness got heavier and Takeshi found himself brushing a tear from his face, which made Ethan pull back and shake his head, rejecting the closeness.  
“I know Ethan, and I understand. However I don't intend to give up entirely, I hope you will permit me to bolster your health, ensure that you will get a long and healthy life.”  
“Hoping I will be able to live a long, happy life, and fulfill my vows, freeing me to accept your offer?”  
“I know it's rather selfish, but yes.”  
“I don't blame you. And I think this is an arrangement I can accept.”  
“Excellent. I would hate to have to find another architect with good taste.”  
The teasing answer made Ethan huff before breaking down laughing.  
“And here I thought you just wanted to get me in bed.”  
“Oh, I wouldn't say no if you offered.”  
“Like you would say no to anyone you consider acceptable as a friend.”  
“I guess not...”  
He wasn't entirely done teasing Ethan though and decided to tease him with another piece of truth.  
“You know, I have thought about it more than once.”  
Ethan instantly froze and gave Takeshi a rather odd look before turning bright red and grumbling something about stupid dreams returning.  
It would seem that at least Ethan's subconscious had considered it at some point.

“So, what are you planning for Nel's birthday other than the fancy Hawaiian food tour?”  
Picking up on Ethan's discomfort at the direction their conversation had taken Takeshi steered it back to safer grounds.  
“Nothing really. Susan has an AM spa visit and light lunch planned then the food tour will take most of the afternoon and evening.

The food tour was a luxury catered event that would take place at the penthouse where Takeshi had them housed and would take them through the history of traditional Hawaiian cuisine and a wide range of dishes would be prepared for them.  
Originally they had planned on going out to a restaurant, but Takeshi had explained to Ethan that Nelly would want to keep both Honey and Kara with her, and unlike the Sanctuary construct that served as Ethan's familiar neither of them could transform into a trinket, Honey could camouflage but Kara had no way of hiding.

“And what have you guys planned for her?”  
“Pretty much the same, though with some of Em's bubbly concoction.”  
“Oh, that lovely wild strawberry sparkling wine?”  
“Indeed. Nelly tasted some during our shopping trip and she loved it so we have brought over a selection of Em's favorite vintages and blends and have a bit of a tasting.”  
“Another thing we better not let Susan know about.”  
Ethan laughed at the revelation that alcohol would be served to Nelly as well for her party, he didn't mind himself though, he trusted that Takeshi wouldn't allow Nelly to overindulge, nor allow anyone else to get too drunk either.  
“I will give her some blood beforehand, it will protect her body from most of the toxic effects of the alcohol, she will only feel a slight buzz, and by morning any residual effects will be completely gone.”  
“No need to explain, I trust you. I know you will do everything you can to keep her safe, healthy and happy, and as far as possible, in that order.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Mothers & Daughters_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Come on Kara, time to go.”  
A series of happy caws as Kara dove down to land on Nelly's shoulder caused a bit of a stir in the aviary where the Hawaiian crows from the wildlife sanctuary were settling in.  
“Careful Kara.”  
Hugin cautioned the crow to be mindful of Nelly's bare shoulder.

She was wearing the gift he had given her for her birthday, a dress in one of the most popular styles with the Obsidian nobility, meaning it was backless with only a narrow halterneck securing the soft leather bodice.  
The simple black bodice was paired with an elaborate skirt made from large amounts of sheer, iridescent black silk and the entire piece was covered in thousands of tiny, sparkling crystals that would twinkle with a gentle glow in the dark, giving the impression of a starry sky.  
Along with it he had given her a silk cape decorated with feathers and a thin but soft fur lining, the cape was a traditional courting gift when an Obsidian Angel courted someone wingless, the feathers were his own, and was meant to symbolize equality.

“I really need to thank you guys, I don't think I have ever seen her this happy.”  
Ethan was waiting with Takeshi and Dan in the Blackout while Nelly said her goodbyes to Hugin, which was taking its sweet time.  
“She is happy because you gave her your blessing for this.”  
Takeshi, Hugin. Nelly and Ethan had spent most of the night talking about her relationship with Takeshi and Hugin and they had agreed that when she returned from her birthday party she would formally accept Hugin's courtship and then they would go ahead with the Arashiri during which Hugin would mark her with a little help from Takeshi.  
Takeshi would wait to mark her until it was time to change her, that way there would be no doubt that Hugin was the primary.  
They had all agreed not to go ahead with the actual mating though until she was done with school to ensure the matings didn't disrupt her studies.

 


	7. Betrayal

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Oh, hi Dan. I thought Manda would be co-piloting?”  
Nelly was slightly surprised to find Dan instead of Amanda, but she quickly took the seat behind him and put on her belt.  
“Nah, I decided to collect a marker.”  
“Oh, so you will be off somewhere to have a lot of fun then?”  
“We won't be going far, the plan is to head out to a nice bar in Honolulu, have a lot to drink and a good time.”  
“Don't you mean have a lot of sex and a good time?”  
The teasing quip made Dan blush a bit.  
“Ethan, are you sure you want her to be around Take? He's obviously a bad influence.”  
Dan mock complained to Ethan about Nelly's teasing which made both Takeshi and Nelly roll their eyes and complain about Dan being mean.  
“I actually like her newfound confidence and willingness to speak her mind. I just hope she is wise enough not to let her mother hear her speak like that.”  
“Oh, don't worry Dad, I'll be careful. Wouldn't want to give Mom a reason to retract her promise to let me stay with Take and the others.”  
While they spoke Nelly took a towel that had been prepared for her and placed it in her lap before having Kara sit there so she could wrap the towel around here.  
“I know you don't like it Kara. But your instincts might make you panic when we take off and then you could get hurt.”  
Nelly gently soothed Kara who was a bit stressed about being wrapped in the towel.  
“Kara know. Kara don't care if Kara get hurt, Kara heal fast. But Kara might hurt Nel and that would be really bad.”  
“Aww, thank you sweetie.”  
Leaning in Nelly gave Kara a kiss on the beak which made the crow puff up and tut at her with a series of soft clucks.

As suspected the flight unsettled Kara quite a bit and despite the short flight she was eager to get out of the plane and stretch her wings once they landed.  
“Be careful Kara, it may be illegal to hunt crows, but some people will try to hurt them anyway.”  
“Kara know. Kara will be careful. Don't worry Nel.”  
“It's not just the people you need to look out for, there are nets you could get caught in, as well as cats and dogs if you land somewhere, and despite your size some of the bigger raptors might try anyway since you're not in a flock.”  
“Yes, yes Mommy, Kara will be careful.”  
The final quip before the crow darted out the door made everyone except Nelly burst into laughter, but after a few moments of stunned silence Nelly broke down as well.  
“I really am turning into a mother hen, aren't I?”  
“Nah, not at all.”  
Takeshi and Dan both denied before telling her that she was naturally turning into a mother **crow** not a mother **hen,** which made her call them horrible and chase a laughing Dan out of the Blackout before pouncing on Takeshi.  
He allowed her to _win_ for a while before turning on her and kissing her breathless.  
“We better get moving before Dan and your father drives to the hotel without us.”  
“They wouldn't dare...”  
“Believe me, my sweet Danny dares...”  
“Really?”  
“I will tell you the story on the drive to the hotel. Angel, watch over the Blackout please.”  
“Of course, I always do.”

By the time they arrived at the hotel Nelly was in tears from laughing at the tale of how Dan had gotten tired of Takeshi and Ylian taking too long and simply driven off to the hotel and left the pair to find a taxi on a Friday night in a small town.  
She was still snickering and tutting at them while they helped the bellboy get her luggage into the concierge trolley, she had insisted on packing several outfits, including one of her kimono as well as her demon silk bedding and a highly elaborate crystal perch for Kara.  
“Come here Kara.”  
She held out her arm that was now covered by a gong leather cuff to protect her from Kara's talons and once the large crow landed she moved her arm slightly to provide Kara with a safe perch while at the same time making sure her arm wouldn't tire.  
Since Kara weighed nearly 2 kilos after her change she could become rather tiresome to carry after a while.  
“Eh, he, he... Nice bird...”  
The porter gave the powerful beak a nervous look and when Kara answered with a downright evil laugh he scurried away to the trolley and nearly hid behind it.  
“Now now Kara, no scaring the employees.”  
Kara responded with another laugh, but this one was decidedly amused and somewhat cheeky.  
“Oh shush, you sound like a kookaburra.”  
The amused snort wasn't exactly in character, but no one was really paying attention to what they believed to be a pet raven hybrid.  
“You make to have fun now Nel.”  
Takeshi didn't get out of the car in case Susan was watching them arrive, he didn't want to do anything that could set her off in any way.  
“I will. And you two better not break too many hearts.”  
“No promises.”  
Both of them quipped as one which made Nelly laugh and tut at them.  
_“You better make sure no one gives poor Dan a hard time. I know prejudice doesn't bother you, but it still bothers him”_  
The last part was added silently for Takeshi's ears only.  
_“I know love, I will, as always, do what I can to guard and protect him, body, mind, spirit and soul, I swear.”  
“Good.”  
“Thank you for caring love.”  
_

With their goodbyes done Ethan and Nelly headed inside the hotel while Takeshi and Dan drove off toward a smaller place at the outskirts of the city that would offer a bit more privacy.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Aho! Aho!”  
Kara's greeting when asked to say hello to Susan had Ethan and Nelly both struggling not to laugh, fortunately though Susan didn't understand the implication of Kara's call.  
In Japanese _Aho_ was the onomatopoeia for a crow's call, but it was also used to mean things like idiot, stupid and loser, a fact that was a popular trope in anime, but something Susan was clearly unaware of.  
“Not aho Kara, hello. Come on, say hello.”  
“Hell no. Hell no.”  
The response was too much for them and they both broke down laughing at the cheeky greeting.  
Susan didn't particularly like animals and had made the mistake of allowing her dislike to show when Nelly came in sight carrying Kara, which had instantly put her on Kara's _shitlist.  
_And being on that list meant Kara would target her for all kinds of pranks, she really knew how to hold a grudge  
“Okay Kara, I think I need to cut you off from watching TV with Dan.”  
“Hello.”  
The instant compliance at the threat caused another round of laughter, though Susan just glared at the crow.

“Don't tell me you intend on having that filthy thing stay inside? God knows what kinds of parasites it's carrying.”  
“Mom! I will not leave Kara outside where she could get hurt! And she very cleanly and doesn't have any parasites.”  
“Oh, and will you pay the damages when she craps on something or breaks something?”  
“For your information Kara is housebroken and will only poop on designated spots and she won't break stuff as long as she has her toys.”

They had potty trained Kara from day one and she had quickly learned to hop over to the puppy pads to do her business and once she began to fly again she would return to her perch and the designated _poop-branch_ which had a tray with some sand underneath that caught the mess and was easy to clean.  
Her travel-perch used puppy pads though for easy cleaning and after her change she was able to hold it much longer than a regular bird her size could.

“And if she does make a mess of something I will pay for it.”  
“You will not waste your savings on something like that. Just keep that bird caged somewhere where it can't do any damage.”  
“I will **not** lock Kara up!”  
Nelly was absolutely horrified at the suggestion that she put Kara in a cage and the argument quickly escalated, but when Kara voiced a distressed caw Nelly instantly turned her back on her mother and focused on her charge.  
The blatant dismissal did not sit well with Susan but Ethan intercepted and diverted her attention, leading her out to the large balcony to allow Kara the freedom of speaking without having to pretend to be a regular crow.  
“Ssh Kara, I'm okay.”  
“No, Nel are not okay, Nel are sad.”  
“A bit, I was hoping she would at least try to get to know you a bit.”  
“Kara don't like that female.”  
“Susan, Mom's name is Susan.”  
“Kara don't care.”  
“It's okay Kara, you don't have to be nice to her. But please, try not to antagonize her too much.”  
“Kara will try. No promises though, Kara am a crow after all.”  
“Indeed you are.”  
Nelly laughed at the cheeky statement.  
“How about we go set up your perch?”  
The happy caws was plenty enough answer so Nelly took the large wheeled crate that would be turned into the perch and headed to the small bedroom where she would be sleeping.

By the time they were done and joined Ethan and Susan in the outdoor sitting area Nelly was calm again and Kara was making all kinds of happy noises, chatting up a storm with Honey.  
“Honey, Kara isn't pulling on your tail so don't pull on her tail feathers, you know that hurts.”  
Susan looked at the pair with a slight sneer and muttered about it being pointless to talk to stupid animals as if they actually understood.  
Kara's caw's instantly gained a bit of a warning edge and Honey's chittering grew louder and somewhat annoyed as she gently began nuzzling Nelly's face while Kara gently worried her ear a bit.  
_“Kara, Honey, please calm down, she doesn't know better.”  
_ Nelly tapped into the bond with her familiar and used Honey's ability to speak to the blessed to speak to both of them without anyone else hearing them.  
Kara was being very adamant in her disapproval of Susan and Honey was keying off of Nelly's emotions, and being a duzz her most prominent trait was a fierce loyalty and protectiveness toward the one she had bonded with.  
Together that meant that Nelly had a pair of very angry creatures determined to protect her from her mother.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“No. I am not leaving Kara and Honey behind and that is final.”  
Ethan was somewhat impressed at the calm Nelly was projecting, she had clearly taken lessons in how to be pissed off in a seriously scary manner from Takeshi but Susan didn't seem to notice just how much their daughter had matured.  
She appeared poised and radiated absolute resolve, and despite keeping her voice low it was cold as ice and every bit as sharp as any blade, carefully enunciating every word clearly, it was a stark contrast to how she had been less than a year ago.  
Before her stay at the island with Takeshi and the others she would have been crying and yelling at this stage of an argument.  
“Don't be silly! Animals aren't allowed at the spa!”  
“Oh, have you asked them?”  
“Ridiculous, of course they aren't allowed.”  
“We will see. But if they are not allowed I will not be going either. They are more important to me than some spa treatment.”  
Nelly decisively ended the argument by turning her back on Susan and picking up the small case with a portable perch that Kara and Honey would share it when needed.

“I promise neither of them will be any trouble, they'll stay on the perch unless I tell them otherwise.”  
Nelly was talking to the woman at the reception, trying to convince her to allow Kara and Honey inside.  
“I don't know, I will have to talk to the owner.”  
“Thanks! Kara, thank the nice lady.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Aw, what a sweetie.”  
Kara and Honey had the woman in the reception charmed, but she couldn't make such a call on her own so she went to get the owner.

“Say hello Kara.”  
The older woman smiled widely at the eager greeting Kara gave her.  
“So this is the special guest you wish to bring with you?”  
“Well one of them, this is Kara, and this is Honey. And I promise both of them will behave.”  
“Of course they will. The blessed children of the Mother are always welcome here.”  
Nelly's eyes widened at her words, but when she saw the old woman's eyes change from a dark brown to pale gold and back she broke into a smile, it would seem the woman was a blessed.  
_“Thank you!”  
_Transmitting her thanks via her familiar was a way to confirm that the woman truly was a blessed.  
_“Oh don't worry child. You may not be one of us, but you are clearly one of his. You will become like us, won't you?”  
“Yeah, I will. Not just yet, but soon.”  
“Good, the Mother needs more children with their hearts in the right place, children who care for others more than themselves. Kara tells me your heart is as true as they get.”  
_The praise made Nelly blush vividly as the owner showed her and Susan into one of the private rooms in the spa.  
“You can place their perch here, and they can stay in that tree over there if they want to as long they go potty on their perch.”  
“You heard her girls. Now what do say?”  
“Thank you.”  
Kara eagerly thanked the woman and Honey voiced a happy trill that they assumed meant something similar before taking off to the small tree in the corner of the room.

When the treatment started Nelly was happy to see one of the attendants offer Kara and Honey a tray of fruit slices as well as a few small bowls with raw fish and meat cut into thin slices but both of them held back and looked at Nelly for guidance.  
“It's okay, go ahead and eat. Just don't make a mess and thank the nice lady for the food.”  
_“Itadakimasu.”_  
Seeing a crow bow and perform the Japanese version of saying _Grace_ as closely as she was able to had the workers in the spa laughing and smiling, but even that wasn't enough to soften Susan's opinion of the crow and she insisted on likening Honey to a flying rat.

By the time they left it was only Kara's silly behavior that kept Nelly from telling her mother _I told you so,_ the crow's insatiable curiosity had ended with her having a collection of rhinestones attached to her beak and now she was eagerly tilting her head to make the stones sparkle. _  
_

_.·:*¨¨*:·.-Flashback-.·:*¨¨*:·.  
_

“Hello Nelly, I'm Jenny and I will be your manicurist today, are you ready to have your hands pampered?”  
“Of course, but I'll pass on having my nails done, but I would love one of those warm wax treatments.”  
Nelly politely declined having her nails done.  
The crystal nails didn't need much maintenance, Takeshi would readjust them once or twice a month to account for the growth of her natural nails and he was teaching her how to do it herself.  
The spa didn't have any tools that could work with the crystal substance anyway.  
“Of course.”  
Jenny carefully washed Nelly's hands to prepare them for the treatment.  
“These nails are remarkable, what material is this?”  
“I really don't know much about it other than that it's an artificial crystal that is grown like this.”  
“They are beautiful.”  
“Thanks.”

“Kara look, Kara play, Kara look?”  
Eager calls from the tree drew their attention to Kara who seemed almost mesmerized by what Jenny was doing.  
“Is it okay if Kara comes closer to see what you are doing?”  
“Of course, as long as she doesn't mess with my equipment.”  
“Come here Kara, but be careful.”  
Kara instantly glided over to them and landed as far away as she could before hopping closer and it soon became apparent that it was the rhinestones on Jenny's nails that drew Kara's attention as she leaned in and tilted her head to get a closer look at how they sparkled.  
“Pretty, pretty.”  
“Be careful Kara, if you keep putting your beak in the middle of things you might end up with a wax and a few stones of your own.”  
Nelly's teasing quip was meant to make Kara take a few steps back to let Jenny work on massaging her hands without getting an excellent view of a crow's beak but it backfired spectacularly when Kara voiced a happy caw and bowed down, offering her beak to Jenny.  
“If that isn't a girl begging for a treatment I don't know what is.”  
Jenny laughed in good humor.  
“Kara, you really want a few stones of your own?”  
“Kara want, Kara want.”  
Nelly gave Jenny a questioning look, it was after all a highly unconventional request.  
“Of course Kara, but you will have to wait your turn.”  
Jenny used the handle of one of the brushes to gently tap Kara's beak  
“Kara wait.”  
“That's a good girl.”  
Nelly watched as Jenny interacted with Kara and was slightly surprised at how at ease she seemed to be with the pushy crow.  
“You seem to be pretty okay with Kara?”  
“Oh, she's not the first blessed animal I have had the pleasure of meeting. The owner has a pair of macaws that visit from time to time.”  
Jenny kept her voice down to make sure Susan wouldn't hear her as it was obvious she wasn't aware of what Kara was.

“All done. So Kara, you still want me to have a look at that beak of yours”  
Kara instantly perked up and offered her beak to Jenny again who took a soft cloth and washed it before taking a tiny drop of wax and giving it a bit of a buff bringing out the deep black color and making it shine.  
The wax would also make sure the rhinestones didn't stick too hard as it would act as a barrier between the beak and the glue used to attach them.  
“Go ahead, pick your favorites.”  
Kara carefully inspected the offered rhinestones and picked a few multicolored ones that matched the iridescence of her feathers.

“Thank you Jenny, especially for humoring Kara, I really appreciate it.”  
“Oh, it was no trouble, she's such a sweetheart.”  
Jenny reached over and gave Kara a quick scratch on the head which earned her some happy caws and something akin to a purr.

_.·:*¨¨*:·.-End Flashback-.·:*¨¨*:·.  
_

 

When they got back to the hotel Ethan was waiting for them and Susan quickly excused herself and headed toward the hotel's private garden, presumably to socialize with the other long term residents.  
Once she was out of sight Kara immediately flew over to Ethan and begged to be scratched, while also showing off her decorated beak which made him laugh and praise her impeccable taste in jewelry.  
“Well well, look at you Kara! All dressed up for the party.”  
“Kara pretty?”  
“No, Kara isn't pretty.”  
She instantly voiced a displeased caw, but before she could take off Ethan gently soothed the feathers on her head.  
“Kara you are the most beautiful creature here, but don't let Nelly know I said that.”  
The teasing addition made Kara instantly forgive him and voice a series of soft, happy, caws while gently worrying his ear.

“So, ear abuse is a corvid thing?”  
Ethan complained, but he did nothing to defend himself from Kara's attention.  
“Honestly I think she learned it from Hugin.”  
“Yeah, he has a thing for ears, doesn't he?”  
“You kidding? He has a **huge** thing for ears whenever he gets emotional.”  
“And knowing Take he is more than happy to allow Hugin to have his way?”  
Ethan's half question made Nelly sigh and give him a somewhat wistful smile.  
“I doubt you'll ever get Take to admit it but I think he really likes it when Hugin abuses his ear and he misses being the target for it now that Hugin is feeling more comfortable and don't revert to his raven form as much.”  
“Well, as I understand it it's Hugin's way of seeking comfort so of course Take is going to enjoy that.”  
“Yeah, it is.”  
“So what about you? Does he do it to you too?”  
“Mhm...”  
“And do you enjoy it?”  
“Yeah, I do. It hurts a bit sometimes if he's really distressed, but he always tries to be gentle with me, mindful that I'm human. But it doesn't matter if it hurts a bit, what matters is that somehow I always feel him, feel so connected to him.”  
“Love will do that to you.”  
“I guess. I really do love them.”  
“Hugin is a bit shy so I never got a chance to get to know him very well, but what I do know is that he honorable, loyal and protective. And if the way he cares for that phoenix chick is any indication, he will be an amazing father. And Take, well, Take is Take.”  
“Indeed, Take is Take.”  
The bubbling laugh underneath the agreement broke the oddly solemn moment and Nelly soon wheedled her father into joining her in the arcade across the street, and a small bribe convinced the owner to allow Kara and Honey inside as long as they didn't bother the other customers, or crap on the machines or furniture.  
The first demand was a bit of a gray area as their presence drew a lot of attention, especially Kara, but they were both calm and stayed next to Nelly and Ethan, though Kara did peck a few hands that got too close and tried to touch her.  
The second demand was easily solved by draping a puppy pad over one of the bar-stools that fortunately was a model with a backrest that gave Kara a comfortable perch while the puppy pad protected the seat in case she needed to relieve herself.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

As much as Nelly had loved her Hawaiian food tour she was happy that it was over, Susan's constant needling about Kara and Honey being at the table with them had ruined the mood quite a bit.  
“Dad, I wanna go out somewhere, have some fun. Maybe one of those teen-clubs or the big arcade.”  
“Are you sure? There have been a lot of incidents lately.”  
“Don't worry we will be fine. Take and Dan are in town and I can feel Take through Honey so he can definitely feel me, and he is close enough to shadow travel to us almost instantly if something happens. And Take says I'm doing really good in self defense and we have the familiars.”  
Nelly reminded her father that his familiar was capable of creating toxins that it could attack with either as an aerosol spread by its wings or by using its talons to scratch and the duzz were famous for aggressively defending their bonded, and doing so with great success thanks to its potent venom.  
“I guess that should be enough.”  
“Besides, Take tells me you are a really good fighter when you need to.”  
“Oh, he told you that did he?”  
“Yeah, why have you never told me or taught me?”  
“Your mother wouldn't understand. And she definitely wouldn't have agreed to teaching you.”  
The image of how her mother would have reacted to her taking self-defense classes had Nelly snickering.  
“Just give me 5 to get changed.”  
“Sure sure.”

Ethan was quite surprised when Nelly showed up less than 5 minutes later, now wearing a pair of black camo cargo pants and a sleeveless, halterneck crop top in matching camo print.  
It left part of her midriff bare but completely covered her chest and when she came closer he could see some kind of jewelry sparkle in her navel and she wore a selection of jewelry that was a mix of feathers, raven and dragon motifs.  
“Don't worry Dad, the navel jewelry is fake, it's glued on. So, what do you think?”  
Breathing a sigh of relief he looked up at the top she was wearing.  
“Taking fashion lessons from Take I see, I hope you have a jacket to go with that or your mother will never let us leave.”  
“Of course. So, what do you think?”  
“A bit revealing but not too badly. They are definitely rubbing off on you, but it's good to see you have grown into yourself and gained some confidence.”  
“Dad!”  
“Okay, okay. It looks good. A bit too good perhaps. Now go cover up a bit before your mother sees you.”  
Ethan was happy with the way she dressed though, it showed that she had found her confidence and was willing to show it off, her choice of clothes were somewhat revealing, but in a tasteful way.  
“Thanks, be right back.”  
When she returned she was wearing a pair of military style boots and a matching jacket.  
“Better?”  
“Much.”  
He had no doubt she would attract a lot of attention even if she kept the jacket on, part of him was loath to admit it, but in the months she had been living with Takeshi his daughter had blossomed into a beautiful young lady.

Nelly was arguing with a pinball-machine when Honey alerted her that Takeshi was right behind her, just in time for her not to jump out of her skin, or attack him, when he placed his hands on her shoulders.  
“Take!”  
She instantly squirmed around and gave him a quick kiss, mindful that they were in public.  
“What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out drinking Dan under the table and lure him into lots of drunken sex?”  
“Oh, we are out to get drunk, but we sensed you nearby on our way out so we decided to drop by and say _Happy Birthday_ first.”  
Nelly just huffed at him before turning to Dan and giving him a hug.  
”I'm sorry Dan, I didn't mean to interrupt your getaway.“  
“Oh don't worry, just give me a chance to kick your ass in air hockey and I'm willing to call us even.”  
“Oh you're on, but don't expect to win!”  
In Akihabara Dan and Nelly had bonded over their mutual love for arcade games, air hockey in particular which had led to a few rather intense matches, though both of them knew Nelly wouldn't stand a chance if Dan didn't suppress his enhanced abilities, but he gladly did so for a fair and challenging game.  
Takeshi had encouraged it as it was a good exercise in control for Dan, to do something that got you pumped up and competitive while suppressing the abilities that would give you an edge was hard and required a lot of discipline.  
“Take!”  
Nelly hissed when Takeshi slipped behind her and placed his hands on her bare waist, it was crowded, but thanks to Takeshi abilities no one would really notice what he was doing over the excitement of the game.

To turn people's attention away from him was one of the first things he had learned to use his power for, it was remarkable easy to turn the attention of most humans simply by letting a subtle intent flow through his aura.  
Humans see thousands of things every day that they don't notice or remember, things that their brains classify as inconsequential and ignore, and Takeshi used his power to encourage people to place him and whatever he was doing into that category.  
People would see him, adjust to his presence so the didn't walk into him or things like that, but they wouldn't pay any attention to him and they wouldn't recall having seen him, and if there was a distraction present, like the fierce air hockey game, it became much easier, no one would pay attention to him teasing Nelly by caressing her waist and hips.  
Gently dragging his claws along the exposed skin rewarded him with a rich spice of arousal and excitement.

“Ha! I told you!”  
Nelly whooped when she scored the winning goal and instantly turned around and gave Takeshi an excited smooch before pushing him away and turning to Kara who was perched on Ethan's shoulder.  
“Kara stay with dad, I'm off to the ladies room.”  
She didn't really need to use the bathroom though, she needed to get away from Takeshi's teasing hands before she did something rash.  
“I do believe she has the right idea.”  
Takeshi quickly followed her and caught up in the corridor where the toilets were located.  
“Angel, give us some privacy please.”  
The whispered instruction was instantly taken care of.  
“Of course, camera systems are under my control.”  
Takeshi didn't waste a moment, the instant Angel informed him the cameras were taken care of he used his power to enhance his speed and a moment later he pinned Nelly to the wall and kissed her harshly, letting his hunger surge between them.  
“Take, they have cameras here.”  
She objected with a nervous tone.  
“Don't worry Nelly, they won't show anything.”  
Angel's voice over her hands-free made Nelly relax and respond to Takeshi's kisses with equal fervor.  
“Had I known you would show up I would have worn a skirt.”  
The complaint held a teasing tone that made Takeshi groan, a skirt had been easy to get around and take things to the next level, but as she was dressed now that was not an option, they would have to find other ways to bring each other completion.

“I guess those two will be a while, care for a beer or two?”  
Ethan turned to Dan with an amused sigh once Takeshi and Nelly were out of sight.  
“Mhm, they will definitely be a while.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The following day Nelly spent with her father on the beach, her mother refused to _ruin her sensitive skin_ by spending all that time in the sun and come evening Nelly was relieved when Dan and Takeshi pulled up outside the hotel to pick her up so they could all go back to the island.  
The moment the car door closed Nelly moved to straddle Takeshi and began pulling at his belt.  
“I guess we are taking the scenic route?”  
Dan teased from the front seat as Takeshi moved Nelly's skirt to the side after shifting out of his own clothes.  
“Mhm, and Angel, disregard seat belt regulations please.”  
By the time they finally turned into the private section of the airport Nelly was curled into Takeshi's lap with a sated smile and he was nuzzling her hair with a similar expression, but Dan had no doubt they would vanish along with Hugin the moment they had landed and made it through the usual greeting procedure.

“Take, I have been meaning to ask you a few things about the Arashiri.”  
Nelly took her seat while Takeshi began to go through the pre launch checklist, according to Angel it would be about an hour before they would get clearance to take off though, air traffic had been grounded due to some volcanic activity and they were still working on clearing out the commercial flights to get everything back on schedule.  
“Of course, what do you want to know?”  
“Well first of all, how soon can we do it?”  
“Since you are human I would like to have one week set aside for it to make sure you don't overdo it. Next week you have a few seminars you need to listen in on, but we could do it the week after that.”  
“Good, I don't want to wait anymore. Being away, not being able to sense Hugin at all, I don't ever want to feel that again. I need to be closer, I need to feel him.”  
“I understand love. And you are right, once you have formed the courting bond you will always be able to sense your simari.”

Takeshi was beginning to have a nagging suspicion that Nelly and Hugin might be soulmates, that they were simply unable to sense the simiriwi because she was human, unable to manifest the power of her soul.  
Part of him hoped that was the case, while part of him feared that he would lose Hugin as a mate, that their mating bond would be dissolved if Hugin formed the soulmate-bond, feared that he would be unable to form the bond with Nelly if she already had a soulmate-bond.  
The soul bond created when he used Hugin's soul name to save his life could never be fully severed, but it was not the same as the mating bond and over the years he had grown to love his shy angel deeply and did not want to lose him as a mate.

“Good, the sooner the better.”  
“Anything else you want to know?”  
“I can invite others, right?”  
“Indeed you can, up to five participants is not uncommon, but more is not recommended as it could become overwhelming. And with five it's usually the one chosen as Guide, three other teachers, usually a mix of males and females, and a Guardian, someone the youth trusts to keep them safe.”  
Takeshi explained that a Guardian was usually chosen if the one going through the arashiri had selected a Guide based on attraction, or was going through the rite again to heal from trauma from abuse.  
“I don't know if I'm comfortable having another female there...”  
“Then don't invite one, you can always go through the arashiri a second time if you wish to learn from a female some day in the future.”  
“Oh, okay. Anything else I should know?”

Takeshi carefully explained as much as he could think of about the various traditions surrounding the arashiri, and though it pained him he also explained a bit about how the Children of the Blue Sands differed in how they performed it.  
“That's just wrong! Did Sorcha have to go through that?”  
“I'm afraid so.”  
“Poor thing.”  
“She's strong, but her time in the Blue Sands still plagues her at times.”

It took a few minutes before Nelly spoke up again and this time her voice was tainted by concern, and a hint of fear.  
“Take, there's one more thing I want to ask, and please promise you won't get mad...”  
“Nel, I can't promise I won't get upset, but can I promise I won't lash out, and do my best not to hold it against you. Is that enough?”  
She just nodded silently before slowly raising her head again to look at him.  
“Is it possible for me to pick someone other than you as my Guide?”  
For a moment Takeshi's mind went blank and he closed his eyes as he focused all his attention on reining in his emotions, disappointment, fear and feeling of betrayal was searing his mind and the way Nelly's and Dan's energies reacted told him he wasn't successful in controlling himself  
“Please don't be angry... Please...”  
He took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes again.  
“Nel, please, will you tell me why?”  
Takeshi was struggling to keep calm and when Dan stepped up behind him and began massaging his shoulders he breathed a sigh of relief as the calming touch of his beta and mate helped him rein in his emotions and focus on listening to Nelly.  
“Take, if you are my Guide it could upset the balance between you and Hugin, right? Push him to try to challenge you for courting rights.”  
“Yes.”  
“And the same thing could happen if I pick Hugin, right?”  
“Yes.”  
There was no point in trying to give her a more elaborate answer, she clearly understood the implications of her choice better than he had thought she would.”  
“So, please answer me, can I pick someone else?”  
“Yes. Any adult that isn't a close blood relative. Ideally someone with a fair bit of power, capable of defending your courting rights.”  
“Do you think Ylian would accept if I ask yi?”  
Takeshi wasn't entirely surprised at her choice and he had to admit that Ylian was a good choice, they were strong, experienced and while they had an interest in her Ylian wasn't emotionally invested which made them an ideal choice to be Guide.  
“I know yi will be honored to accept.”  
“Please don't be upset with yi either...”  
“Don't worry, I won't be. You made a good choice, and you made it for a good reason. I have no cause to be upset with it. Besides, it's your arashiri, all that matters is what you want, what you need.”  
“But you are still upset about it aren't you?”  
“A little. I'm not immune to feelings such as jealousy, I'm just very good at hiding it and not allowing it to dictate my actions. Not to mention my alpha nature acts up a bit at the thought of a beta being picked over me, but it also accepts your reason, and I have to agree that Ylian is an excellent choice to be your Guide. Yi will protect you and your courting rights will all yi's power. And yi has plenty of power.”

Moments later Nelly was in Takeshi's lap demanding he hold her.  
_“Nel, you should kiss the underside of his jaw, it will calm him down further. But if he growls or bares his fangs at you, don't bare your neck, you are calming him, not apologizing. Instead, if he does, scold him with a nip and remind him of his promise.”_  
Dan's silent words were met with a flash of gratitude before Nelly did as he had instructed her.  
“Take, you promised.”  
When she gave him a nip and reminded him of the promise she was slightly surprised at his reaction as he ducked under her chin with a low whine, begging for forgiveness.  
_“Kiss him on the forehead to accept his apology, and if he offers you his throat, give it a gentle nip then lick or kiss the spot you bit.”_  
Dan explained to her to be on the safe side, but based on her reactions she already had a pretty good idea of what to do, the confirmation did help her confidence in her actions though.  
Takeshi picked up a sharp spike of arousal from Dan when he bared his neck to Nelly, it would seem his little beta had been conditioned to respond to even the slightest hint of a submissive posture.  
Gently tucking her back under his chin he picked her up and moved to the larger, couch-like seat at the back of the cabin, they still had not received a time estimate for takeoff and Angel could handle that on her own.

“Nel, do you think you can handle if Dan joins us?”  
Their current closeness was not about sex, it was simply closeness, reassurance.  
“Mhm...”  
There was no need for an invitation, the moment she agreed Dan hurried over and curled into Takeshi's other side, gently nuzzling the underside of his jaw to soothe his alpha nature.

Much to Nelly's relief the following week had gone by fast and she now found herself standing before all those who called the island home, ready to select those that would join her for her arashiri.  
“Well, Take and Hugin are kinda given, but there is one more I would like to invite.”  
The surge of curiosity, and attention focused toward the females of the group made it clear that everyone believed she would pick a female to be the final member of her arashiri and there was a bit of a buzz of surprise and confusion when she stepped up to Ylian.  
“Ylian would you accept being part of my arashiri?”  
“Of course, I would be honored to.”  
“Will you also accept to be my Guide?”  
The previous murmurs of surprise and confusion escalated to a shocked silence, but Ylian just smiled their usual knowing smile before kneeling down in front of her.  
“I will. Thank you for offering me this honor, I swear I will not betray your trust. I will guide you to the best of my ability, and as Guide I will protect your interests with all my power.”  
No more words were spoken as Ylian rose and offered Nelly his arm, guiding her toward the Sanctuary with Takeshi and Hugin falling in step behind them, until they returned from the arashiri they would both defer to Ylian as the Guide.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Ylian of House Shamarai Imora, Guide to Nelly Wright, do you reject my request of courting rights?”  
Hugin was a mess of nervous energy, and his wings were quivering with tension as he remained in a submissive position in front of Ylian and Nelly, they had spoken in great detail of what would happen during the formal initiation of their courtship, but they were both still nervous.  
“No I do not, you may court her if she accepts you.”  
The tension did drop off a bit at Ylian's acceptance but it was still high as he turned to Nelly.  
“Nelly Wright, daughter of Ethan, ward of House Shamarai Miri, will you accept me, and grant me, Mainano, courting rights?”  
“Yes, I accept you Mainano, and I grant you courting rights.”  
Hugin's relief was instant and the tension was replaced by a barely contained joy when Ylian removed their arm from around Nelly, and then as the final symbolic act of acceptance she stepped forward into Hugin's waiting arms, and when his wings wrapped around her she rubbed her face against the pheromone glands.

Since Nelly didn't have access to the power of her soul she needed a bit of help to form the bond so Takeshi would use his power to guide her soul and allow the bond to form, he would also help her place a mark on Hugin by being a conduit for her energy.  
“Are you ready to receive the courting mark?”  
“Yes, please!”  
Nelly was in a highly emotional state, but it was a good thing as it left her open to Takeshi's gentle prodding and made it easier for him to manipulate her soul to connect to Hugin's, and it made her receptive to Hugin's power which would make it easier to mark her.  
When Nelly bared her back to Hugin, offering him the spot between her shoulder blades she was rewarded with a series of happy chirps which made Takeshi and Ylian smile, the two were indeed a good match.

“What does the courting mark look like?”  
“Wings, he gave you a pair of beautiful black wings.”  
Takeshi leaned in and carefully placed a kiss at the base of the mark, ready to pull back at the slightest sign of discomfort with him touching the courting mark, but when she arched into the touch instead his heart soared, it was a very good sign for the future.  
Since Nelly's energy lacked true intent it didn't form a distinct mark, instead it merged with the marks he already carried and added a green glow to the circle that surrounded the shamarai flower on his chest.

Watching the pair enjoy the new bond made Takeshi long to bond with her himself, but that would have to wait a while longer, she had chosen the change, but they would wait until after her graduation to make sure she had plenty of time to get used to whatever she became.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Take-san, I need to speak with you. In private.”  
Angel's unconventional request was delivered with an odd sense of urgency that made Takeshi excuse himself from the combat practice and retreat to his study.  
“What's wrong Angel?”  
“I have been assisting that pub with security as requested, and last night I observed something quite disturbing. I have been trying to figure out what to do about but all the information I have found is contradictory. I see no other choice than to ask you for guidance.”  
“Okay, I will try my best to guide you. Explain what happened please.”  
“I believe it will be easier to just show you.”  
“Okay, go ahead.”  
The screens flickered to life, showing the inside view of the pub he and Dan had visited, and agreed to assist with their security problems.  
After a few seconds it became obvious what had Angel so concerned, and confused, as Susan entered the establishment with an older man who definitely wasn't Ethan, and the way the pair interacted made it obvious they were not just friends.  
“Oh no...”  
His sadness and disappointment instantly caused a few concerned flares over his bonds and he quickly reassured them while watching the footage.  
“I took the liberty of accessing security and traffic footage from all over Honolulu during the time Susan has been living there and found evidence of several meetings with three different males.”  
“Damn it!”  
Takeshi cursed loudly, Ethan did not deserve such betrayal and it would break his heart, but at the same time he knew he had to tell him.

“Angel, where is Ethan?”  
“He is currently in LA meeting with a contractor, he is scheduled to return on Wednesday.”  
“Good, that gives us a bit of time. I want you to do a dedicated search, no restrictions.”  
“Search criteria?”  
“Look into Susan, her past, look for any signs of previous infidelity and construct a dossier with any cases found.”  
“Evidentiary requirements?”  
“Collect two files, one with direct evidence, and one with circumstantial evidence. And be thorough.”  
“Anything else?”  
“Contact Ethan and set up a meeting here. Tell him I want to work a bit more on the Miami designs.”  
“Will do.”  
“And Angel, you did the right thing coming to me with this. Matters like these are never easy, there is never a given to how to handle it.”  
Takeshi took a deep breath, there was one more thing he had to confirm, he had to make sure if Nelly was actually Ethan's daughter by blood, she felt like it, but he wanted to make sure as well as have proof to give Ethan that Nelly truly was his.  
“Angel, we have Ethan's genetic profile on file, right?”  
“We do.”  
“I will give you a sample of Nelly's blood, get it to Mandrake and have Miller analyze it, a full genetic comparison. I don't believe there will be any issues, but I need to know for sure and I need to be able to prove it.”  
“I understand.”

The next few days caused Takeshi a lot more pain than he had thought it could, seeing evidence of Susan betraying her vows to Ethan over and over, knowing Ethan's absolute loyalty to her and how hard he would take it cut deeply.  
But what really hurt, what he hid from the others, was his own dark joy at seeing confirmation of her betrayal, at gaining proof of it, knowing that chances were high that Ethan would divorce her once he found out.  
Takeshi knew that freed from his wedding vows and hurting from betrayal Ethan would most likely turn to him, seek solace in his unwavering loyalty, accept the change and join them, and though a part of him was ashamed of it, he knew he would not only welcome Ethan, he would encourage him, pull him in.

“Take, you feel sad...”  
Takeshi had Nelly pinned against the ground of the training ring, he was teaching her some of the finer points of hand to hand combat, specifically how to survive grappling against a larger and stronger opponent.  
Her sudden words threw him off though and he released her from the hold they had been practicing before leaning in and giving her a quick kiss, but she quickly broke it off and gave him an expectant look.  
“I am.”  
She could be stubborn, and he didn't want to do anything that she could interpret as rejection.  
“Will you tell me why?”  
“I will, eventually, I swear. Not now, but soon. Okay?”  
“I guess. It's just... It hurts...”  
“You are sensing me?”  
Experience gave him a good idea what her words meant, though he hadn't really expected it to happen.  
“A bit, not as strongly or accurately as I sense Hugin, but I get pretty good idea when I'm close to you like this.”  
“It's probably because I touched the core of your soul when I helped you form the bond with our precious Hugin. Your desire to form a bond with me as well allowed a tiny flicker of your energy to latch on to me.”  
“How come you haven't been able to feel it?”  
“My senses are far sharper than yours, and I have always been able to read your aura so the difference wouldn't be big enough for me to really notice, but for you it would be a big change. For me it would be akin to noticing someone whispering softly at the same time as someone is yelling the very same words.”  
She nodded her understanding before pulling him down again this time for a far more intimate kiss, a kiss that had him painfully hard in a matter of moments, but it didn't last nearly as long as he would have liked before she broke it off and nudged him to move.  
He rolled to the side with a groan, mindful to not put too much of his weight on her as he had been using it to pin her during their training.  
“Tease...”  
“Hmpf, like you should be talking with the way you were harassing everyone last month.”  
“Oi, you know I can't help it. Jenna's heat pulls on my instincts and she's not receptive while she's nursing.”  
Jenna couldn't take the modified blockers since they would make her lose her milk and Isabelle would most likely nurse for about 3 to 5 years, maybe longer, nursing however did not stop her from entering a fertile cycle and a mild heat that pulled on Takeshi's instincts.  
It did however make her harshly non-receptive during the week that the heat lasted, aggressively rejecting any attempt from a male to bed her, as a result Takeshi's appetite for sex was even greater than normal.  
“Take, even Em and Marakell were avoiding you...”  
“Meh, pesky details.”  
His huffed complain made Nelly laugh and lean in to kiss him again, but this time she kept it almost chaste.  
“I wish this damned semester was over already.”  
“Don't worry love, it's just three more weeks.”

They had agreed that they would wait with her change until she had completed the semester, that would give her the summer to adjust if needed, and if she adjusted faster Angel had a selection of short, intensive courses and seminars lined up for her to pick from if she wanted to.  
It was another agreement they had come to, to focus on her studies, to help her push hard and excel and to help keep her focused, Hugin was studying as well, with his demonic abilities, prior knowledge and Angel helping him he was quickly catching up to Nelly.  
By the time she was ready to apply to college he would be able to apply alongside her, and Takeshi was actually considering either applying as a student, or as a teacher himself, he needed something more to spend his time on now that Kasumi had all the help she needed to handle the Kiryu assets and Sorcha did a wonderful job managing his demon realm assets.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Betrayal_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“So, Take, any specific requirements for the contractors?”  
Takeshi and Ethan had gone through the final parts of the Miami designs and they were ready to begin demolition of the current architecture on the western island of North Bay.  
“Not really, I would prefer to use local contractors, ideally smaller companies and the personal chemistry is more important than the bid they offer. You recall how you were originally hired, don't you?”  
”Of course. With your permission I would like to work with Angel to create a request and send it out.”  
“You don't need my permission to work with Angel, just ask her if she wants to, if you come across anything she would require permission for she will contact me about it.”  
There were a few embarrassed coughs and mutterings from Ethan before he spoke up again.  
“I guess I should apologize, shouldn't I Angel?”  
“Don't worry Ethan, I know you didn't intend any offense so none is taken. And I will be more than happy to work with you again.”  
Ethan eagerly thanked Angel for understanding, and for agreeing to work with him, though Takeshi interrupted him when he was about to start his 3rd round of thanking Angel.  
“Still working here.”  
“Ah, sorry. So, what else?”  
“The second stage of the construction will be done by Mandrake, that way I can bring in demon workers to ensure that the underground levels won't leak, or adversely affect the environment.”  
“That is probably a good idea, even one basement level is fairly rare in Miami, but five, and the shaft down to the dedicated room for the generator and refuse treatment beneath that is plain crazy.”  
“Not just that, employing demon workers, working under a soul oath will ensure absolute security for the sublevels.”

It took them another hour to lay out the guidelines for how the initial sorting of offers would be done and by the time they were done Takeshi was struggling to contain his nervous energy to keep his mates and pack from storming in to see what was wrong.  
Takeshi reached out for Hugin and asked him to bring Nelly to the study before returning to the display of their future home and moving a few trees and other minor features around while waiting for them to arrive.  
When they entered the conference room they immediately picked up on Takeshi's agitation and quickly sat down next to him.  
“Ethan, there is something I need to talk to you about, something important, something that concerns Nel as well.”  
There was an instant surge of fear from Nelly but Hugin quickly calmed her down.  
“Why do I get a feeling this is something bad?”  
Takeshi didn't find any words to answer Ethan with so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself and as he did he felt Nelly's hand slip into his and give him a gentle squeeze to show her support.  
Opening her eyes he turned slightly to her, returned the squeeze and offered her a small smile of gratitude before looking up to Hugin and giving him a nod as well to thank him for the support he offered by draping his wing across both him and Nelly.  
_“My dear Mainano, I need you to focus on being Nel's support now. This is going to hurt them both, but it will break Ethan and with Nel suffering her own pain she won't be able to be there for her father so I will be the only one here who can be his support.”_  
_“Yes mate, I will protect our simora, guide her and support her.”_  
The fact that Hugin had referred to Nelly as both their simora made Takeshi's smile soften a bit.  
“Okay, guys now you are really starting to make me nervous. What's wrong?”  
Takeshi turned back to Ethan with a sigh.  
“There is no easy way to say this, so I will just be blunt, I'm sorry.”  
Steeling himself with one last breath he spoke the words he knew would breath Ethan's heart.

“Susan is being unfaithful to you.”  
There was a moment of silence before two voices spoke as one.  
“What?”  
“I'm sorry, but Angel came to me about a week ago. While helping a bar in Honolulu with their video surveillance she stumbled across something she couldn't figure out how to handle so she brought it to me. It was Susan, with another man, and it was obvious they were not out as friends.”  
At his side Nelly was whispering to herself, repeating a single word over and over, _No_.  
“No, this can't be...”  
“Angel, the footage please.”  
The screens instantly came to life showing the images captured by the various cameras at the bar.  
“I failed her, all the time spent here working, I left her all alone.”  
Hearing Ethan trying to put the blame on himself stirred Takeshi's temper so his next words came out sounding a bit harsher than intended.  
“No Ethan! This is **not** your fault! This on all her. This is not the first time she has been with others.”  
Takeshi suspected it was his tone and slightly raised voice that got through to Ethan rather than his words and he took a moment to brush his aura against Nelly and was relieved to find that Hugin was managing to keep her from falling apart.  
“When Angel showed me this I asked her to do a dedicated search on Susan, to look through all and any data she could find, and you won't like what she uncovered.”  
“What did you find?”  
Ethan's voice was barely a whisper, broken with the pain of betrayal, but he wasn't ready to accept any form of support yet, and he needed to hear it all.  
“She was never faithful. Angel found proof of several affairs going back to before you were married. And she also found circumstantial evidence of several other affairs, indicating that Susan has kept herself with at least one lover, and sometimes as many as four lovers at any given time.”  
“Sh.. Show me... Show us everything.”  
The broken words prompted Angel to bring up the files she had put together and show all of it.

It took several hours to go through everything Angel had found and when they were done Ethan was silent, the empty calm of someone who was so completely broken that they were beyond emotions and it had Takeshi slightly concerned.  
Getting up from his seat he walked over to Ethan and gently brushed his hand against the side of his face, a gesture that would normally make Ethan look away as a sign of rejection of any further closeness, but now he just allowed it and when Takeshi tilted his face up he didn't resist.  
Leaning in he gave Ethan a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth, mindful not to push him in a way that he could see as betraying his own vows, Susan may have betrayed hers but Ethan had been true to them, and Takeshi intended to make sure he remain so, the kiss was just intended to relay his apology, and snap Ethan out of his apathy.  
“I'm truly sorry, you do not deserve this.”  
It took a moment, but then Ethan reacted and pulled away from the closeness and turned his head, rejecting the touch.  
“I can't... She is still my wife and I will not betray that.”  
“I know you won't. Your loyalty honors you.”  
“I'll get a lawyer and file for divorce, Our prenup is very clear in this case, if she does not sign willingly I will file for a unilateral divorce.”

Takeshi had helped Ethan with his and Susan's prenup by providing them with the aid of a prestigious law firm that specialized in family law and he had read the final document, it was well formulated and there would be no way for Susan to get out of it.  
In case of infidelity the prenup was clear, if Susan was unfaithful she would lose all claims to any marital assets beyond what she brought or earned herself and a limited allowance, enough money to rent an apartment large enough for her and any children they might have, a 3 year limited allowance to help her readjust and basic child support.  
If Ethan had violated the agreement Susan would have been awarded most of the assets and a substantial allowance based on Ethan's income, leaving him with little more than what she would be awarded if she strayed.

“When the divorce is finalized I will be all yours Take.”  
“If only that meant what it sounds like.”  
Takeshi teased lightly, but he knew what Ethan meant, he would return to the island, accept the change, and become one of them, the teasing quip did have the intended effect though as it made Ethan huff at him, further bringing him out of the darkness.

It would take a few months, but Ethan would be his.

 


	8. Destination Miami

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Destination Miami_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“I don't believe it! Mom is making a counterclaim, claiming that Dad has been cheating on her! And she is intending to file for sole custody over me if he doesn't settle to grant her half of everything.”  
Nelly was furious when she barged into Takeshi's study after receiving an email from Ethan.  
“Don't worry Nel, we will fix this. I will not allow her to lie her way out of this.”  
“But if they find out I have been sleeping with you guys they will give her custody! And I know you, if they ask you, you won't lie, and I won't either, I refuse to deny what we have.”  
“Then we will file to have you emancipated, and we will make sure we win.”  
“And how are you supposed to do that?”  
“I will have Angel act as your personal lawyer and Ylian will pretend to be her in any meetings, yi has been practicing with me to learn how to use yi's voice and aura to use suggestion and command, they will have no choice but to rule in our favor.”

Takeshi had been making plans, and drawing up countless possible scenarios, ever since Angel came to him with the information that Susan was cheating on Ethan, and her making counterclaims had been a part of those scenarios, as had the possibility of her trying to discredit them and try to get sole custody of Nelly to force her away.

“Take, there's one thing about all of this that is worrying me...”  
“Well, tell me and I may be able to help.”  
“Could you get that genetics woman you mentioned at Mandrake to compare my DNA with Dad's?”  
“You want to know if he's your biological father?”  
“Yeah, I need to know. So please, can you get a DNA test done?”  
“Don't worry Nel, I already have, and Ethan is your biological father.”  
“If you already checked, why didn't you tell me?”  
“There was no reason to bring it up unless you asked to know.”  
For a moment she looked like she was about to argue then she deflated and nodded in understanding.

“Nel, in light of this, do you want to risk going ahead with your change, or wait until after this is all done?”  
“Please don't make me wait any longer. I don't want to face this without having a true bond with you.”  
He could feel the truth of her words and part of him was relieved, though he was somewhat concerned about her not having as much time to adapt as he had intended for.  
“Then so be it, tomorrow we leave for the Sanctuary and your rebirth.”  
“And our courting...”  
“And our courting.”  
He agreed with a smile before kissing her.

“Are you ready?”  
“I'm ready.”  
“Remember, if you fight it it will hurt more.”  
“I know.”  
Enveloped by Hugin's wings she bared her neck to Takeshi.  
“May I take some of your blood?”  
He had already explained that he would ask for her blood before trying to change her, in a sense he was developing a ritual of his own for granting the blessing.  
“Yes.”  
With an almost reverent gentleness Takeshi sank the slender fangs of his vampiric power into the offered neck and as always the heat of the blood tasted sweet to him, and Nelly's arousal added a subtle spice that he greedily explored while his power adapted to her blood.  
Moments later he began to pour his power into her and as expected he met no resistance, instead she greedily drank in everything he gave and it only took a few seconds before he felt that the change had taken hold on her and he withdrew his fangs.  
“Rest now. Hugin and I will watch over you and help you if you need it.”  
She nodded faintly before the strain of the change took over and much to Takeshi's and Hugin's relief she fell into a deep sleep, the purer change from Takeshi's new control and power level made the change less painful.

“What do you think she will become?”  
Hugin was curious and a bit anxious while gently brushing his fingers through Nelly's hair.  
Takeshi knew that Hugin wished for her to gain a form with wings and he agreed wholeheartedly, they deserved to share the skies.  
“Oh, it's starting.”  
Hugin pulled his hand back as electricity began to spark through her hair.  
“Well, appears like she will have some sort of electric nature.”  
Next came talons and fine scales on her hands which made them speculate that she might become some sort of dragon but their theory was thrown for a spin when feathers began to erupt as well.  
“Seems like she is strong enough to be a hybrid.”  
“But no wings...”  
“Don't worry love, she's not done with her change yet.”  
Takeshi could feel the flux of power within her and experience told him that she was still sifting through her options, picking what she liked, searching for her true self.

About an hour later the energy suddenly flickered and settled and Hugin obviously felt it as he voice a sad chirp at the lack of wings, but a moment later it turned into a yelp of surprise as power exploded from Nelly's body and when the light died down Nelly's form had been replaced by a large bird that looked suspiciously similar to a phoenix, though with various blue and purple tones, and electricity instead of fire.  
“A thunderbird, or maybe a storm phoenix, definitely winged.”  
Takeshi teased Hugin with a hushed tone while they waited for Nelly to wake up.

The rustling of feathers was the first sign that she was waking up, then came a surprised chirp before her thoughts came in loud and clear.  
 _“Mainano?”  
“I'm here love.”_  
Takeshi waited for a while to allow them to connect and stabilize each other and he could feel their souls merging slightly, but what revealed what was happening was Hugin's distracted chirps.  
 _“Hugin, is it the simiriwi?”  
_ Takeshi knew what the answer would be, but he still had to ask. _  
“Yes, and it's strong. What about you?”_  
 _“Yeah, me too.”  
_ The confirmation that both of them felt the calling made Hugin voice a happy chirp while gently brushing his hand over Nelly's wings, testing how comfortable she was with him touching them.  
Takeshi waited a few more minutes before reaching out for Nelly though, allowing Hugin time to bond with her, but they needed to start working on her control, the sooner after the change the better.  
 _“Nel, how are you feeling? Anything bothering your senses?”_  
 _“I don't think so, everything is a bit brighter and louder, but not uncomfortably so.”_  
“Still okay when I speak?”  
 _“Mhm, a bit loud but it doesn't hurt or anything.”  
_ “I want you try to speak, see if you are able to modulate your voice beyond chirps.”  
 _“Okay.”  
_

It took her awhile but after about an hour she was able to speak reasonably well in her bird form, though her voice carried some odd harmonics, it wasn't an unpleasant sound though and Takeshi somewhat hoped it would remain even if she became more comfortable speaking in that form.

“Okay, next up is transformation. Try to become human again.”  
It turned out that becoming human again was easier for Nelly than speaking in her bird form had been and it only took her a handful of tries before they had a sufficiently human looking Nelly in their arms.  
She still had a few scales here and there and a few feathers in her hair, but that was expected.  
“Ah, let me look at you love.”  
“Okay...”  
Her insecurities surfaced for a moment but Hugin quickly soothed her and promised her that she was beautiful, and she was.  
The changes were discreet in her current form but they were very becoming.  
“Let's see what we have. Talons, sharp, slightly metallic, definitely not the talons of a regular bird.”  
Takeshi encouraged her to flex them and test their sharpness and strength while he looked closer at the few scales that remained.  
“This might be a bit uncomfortable, but please don't scratch me with those talons.”  
He gently pried at one of the scales and she instantly hissed at him and pulled her hand back, which was the expected reaction.  
“I hope those will go away...”  
“Don't worry, I'm sure they will. For now, how about we see if you can pause your transformation halfway through?”

It took two days before Nelly felt comfortable enough with her new body to move on to forming the bond with Takeshi.

“Come here beautiful, let me look at those wings of yours.”  
Once she had learned a bit more control she was able to take a form very similar to Hugin's natural form though her wings were different both in shape and color, mixed with the regular flight feathers were the long, flowing feathers of a phoenix.  
The most interesting though was the color of her feathers, they were constantly shifting in various hues of blue and gray, shifting from light to almost black in seemingly random patterns, making them look like dark storm clouds.  
Takeshi began to brush his hand over her wings, slowly moving closer to the base which earned him a few needy gasps.  
“Nel, please, use your wings.”  
There was a flicker of uncertainty in Nelly's aura, but then Hugin stepped in and showed her what Takeshi meant by gently brushing his wings along her arms which made her shiver with desire.  
“Oh...”  
She was a bit sheepish as she had been on the reviving end of Hugin's teasing touches before and enjoyed it quite a bit.  
Takeshi had already explained to her that forming the bond was easier during the so called _afterglow_ of an intense release.  
It didn't take long for both of them to fall over into the abyss and for a moment they were completely open to each other, no barriers, no walls, only complete trust and the power that was the courting bond instantly flared through the tiny conduit that had formed along with her bond with Hugin.  
“Take, what does your mark look like?”  
“I didn't give you a separate mark, my power added to Hugin's mark. It's fairly common when a new partner is added to a preexisting courtship”  
“So, what does it look like?”  
“My shadow aspect, it added black, smoke like, shadows to the wings that Hugin's mark created. A rather pleasing effect if I say so myself.”  
“It is a beautiful addition to the mark.”

“Uhm, Take, I can't see a mark on you? Was I too weak to make one?”  
Takeshi had warned her that she might not be able to mark him, she had been able to mark Hugin because he bolstered her, and they hadn't known if the change would give her enough power to mark him.  
“Don't worry Nel, you marked me. I can feel it on my back, feels a bit like lightning.”  
“Oh, let me see!”  
Takeshi chuckled at her eagerness and moved slightly to make it easier for her to examine his back.  
“Easy love, remember how sensitive my tattoos are in their true form.”  
True to character Nelly instantly dragged her talons harder along the edge of the tattoo before leaning in and licking away the tiny drops of blood, which made him groan with need.  
“Oh, I think I found it. Hugin, look here.”  
Takeshi could feel her tap her talon against one of the scales on his back.”  
“Indeed, that's your power.”  
Hugin quickly agreed and traced a small area on Takeshi's back with his finger which made Takeshi's senses tingle with the familiar sense of rebellion against someone other than the one who made it touching a courting mark.  
“So you two care to enlighten me? I don't have eyes in my neck.”  
His tone was slightly sharper than intended as his instincts stirred from Hugin touching Nelly's mark and the way Hugin pulled his hand back made it quite clear he understood the reason.  
“It's quite subtle, just a hint of lightning and her energy around a few of the scales.”  
“Okay guys, I'm missing something here again. Take, why do you seem upset?”  
Nelly's confusion shifted their attention back to her.  
“It's because I touched your courting mark, we instinctively rebel against that because a sufficiently strong individual could damage a courting mark.”  
“Oh, I see.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Destination Miami_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“I'm scared...”  
Nelly burrowed her face in Takeshi's chest and Hugin gently moved up behind her and wrapped his wings around both of them.  
“Don't worry Nel, we won't allow Susan to take you away from us, nor will we allow her to get away with her attempt at slander against your father.”  
Ylian tried to reassure her with words while Takeshi and Hugin used their bonds to soothe her.  
“I know, but I'm still scared.”  
“Nel, it's okay to be scared, but it would be good if you can hide it, if you can appear confident before the lawyers. It will make a good impression.”  
Angel added to the conversation and soon Amanda joined as well, gently prodding and teasing, while applying her vocal powers to help calm Nelly and help her steel herself for the upcoming meeting.

“Ethan has never betrayed his vows despite plenty of opportunity, and more than one invitation, invitations he has always rejected. His faithfulness and loyalty is, and has always been, unwavering.”  
Takeshi and the others had joined Ethan, Nelly, Susan and their lawyers in the small conference room to offer their statements in response to Susan's accusations.  
Takeshi made sure to project every ounce of the traits that made others trust him, as well as a hint of suggestion in his words that would make those listening more inclined to believe him.  
“Bullshit! I know you, you're nothing but a bunch of degenerate perverts!”  
Susan instantly voiced her objections and Ylian, in the form of Angel, asked Susan's lawyer to please control her client.  
“Mr Kiryu, you insist that Mr Wright has committed no wrong, and yet Mrs Wright is convinced her has, why do you believe that is?”  
“Susan has always detested the fact that we live in a polyamorous collective of sorts, and she especially loathes the fact that several of our members deviate from the heterosexual norm, as well as don't always comply to binary gender norms.”  
Susan was about to object again, but this time the lawyer stopped her and nodded for Takeshi to continue.  
“So, you are bisexual then?”  
“In a sense. I have multiple partners and in our group I'm the one with the most partners. I have six female partners with whom I share a more intimate relationship with as well as a few other females whom I see occasionally. I also have three male partners and a few other males that I occasionally sleep with, as well as one partner who doesn't really fit into the definition of male or female.”  
“One of your partners is intersex?”  
“Yes, so I would technically be considered to be omnisexual, not bisexual.”  
Calling Ylian intersex wasn't entirely accurate, but it was the closest term available and since intersex did cover anything that wasn't male or female it wasn't really a lie.

“And the others? How are their relationships?”  
“It varies, but all have at least one more partner apart from me.”  
“And what are your views on fidelity?”  
“To not go behind the back of our partners, if we wish to be with another we are open with it, and we respect if our partners are not comfortable with it. For instance we would not be with someone if one of our partners do not approve of them, and we will not be with someone without informing them that we are in a polyamorous relationship.”  
“So pretty much anything goes as long as it's done openly, and with the approval and informed consent of everyone involved?”  
“That would be a sufficiently accurate explanation.”  
The lawyer nodded and Takeshi could sense that she was overall accepting of their lifestyle, but the questions didn't end there.  
Fortunately most of the questions were about Ethan and his relationship with them, and his work for Takeshi, they all wanted to avoid questions about any personal relationships with Nelly as long as possible.

In the end their work to try to reach a settlement failed as Susan insisted on claiming that Ethan had been unfaithful as well, initially she had claimed she had not cheated, but a few well chosen recordings made her stop, but she was still insisting that the prenup should be completely voided and that she was entitled to half of all their assets, something that Takeshi encouraged Ethan to refuse to accept.

It would have been easy and convenient to avoid further questions by voiding the prenup, but Takeshi didn't feel comfortable with the fact that doing so would in essence be Ethan admitting to having betrayed his vow's which he had not.

“Nelly, would you explain what you relationship is like with Takeshi and the others?”  
The question was expected but it still made a flicker of distress flow through Nelly's aura before she clamped down on it and proceeded as they had agreed on, she would focus on her relationship with Hugin, thus minimizing the need for her to stray from the truth.  
In preparation for this line of questioning they had made adjustments to the identity _Hugin Shamarai,_ taking full advantage of Hugin's youthful appearance they had altered his date of birth, making him only two years older than Nelly on paper.  
“We are good friends, and in a way they are family. They have helped me a lot.”  
“Helped yo how?”  
“Catching up with my studies, helped me build confidence in myself and my abilities.”  
“And is that all?”  
“Not really, I'm kinda dating Hugin.”  
“Is Hugin here today?”  
“Yeah. Hugin!”  
Nelly called out and waved to Hugin who waved back to her and Takeshi silently noted just how young he looked now that he was dressed in typical teen fashion and with all of his demonic traits hidden.  
“It says here he is 19?”  
“That's right.”  
Technically it wasn't a lie, the files did say that Hugin was 19.  
“And how would you describe your relationship?”  
“Umm.... Work in progress?”  
She was intentionally pretending to be shy about it, no one would suspect it was an act though, as far as anyone knew she was a teen in her first attempt at a relationship.  
“How about sexually?”  
Takeshi instantly flooded both Hugin and Nelly with a barrage of highly explicit imagery that made both of them blush vividly.  
“Umm, well, we **have** kissed...”  
Mush to Takeshi's relief the plan worked, their strong reaction to the question and Nelly's reply was interpreted as a lack of sexual experience, making everyone jump to the conclusion they were not sexually active.  
Susan however instantly exploded into a rant about how they were corrupting her and that the judge had to award her sole custody to save her daughter but the judge once again asked her lawyer to please control her client.  
Susan's erratic behavior was partially Takeshi's fault though, he was constantly prodding pushing at her aura, occasionally even digging in deep which caused her to become highly irritable and unstable.  
Normally he avoided things like that, but he was not about to give her any chance of winning, if she seemed unreasonable and erratic it increased the chances of them getting their way.

With their combined efforts it didn't take long before the judge ruled in Ethan's favor, informing Susan that she should consider herself lucky that Ethan had agreed to sign their New York house over to her and pay the upkeep for the next 5 years to give her time to adjust.  
The judge also ruled in favor of Nelly's emancipation which opened up for a few more of Takeshi's plans, one of which being granting her citizenship in the new nation of Hawaii.  
With the judge's ruling all that remained was for Ethan to sign over the deed to the house to Susan.

On the evening of their victory they held a small party on the Leviathan and shortly after sunset Ethan approached Takeshi with a hint of hesitation.  
“Take, when we sign the papers, could you try to make Susan tell me why?”  
“If that's what you want.”  
“Yeah, I do.”  
“I want to be there too. I need to hear why she would hurt you, hurt us like this.”  
Nelly quickly joined the conversation and they quickly agreed that she had just as much right, and need, to hear it as Ethan did.

“ _ **If I could have your attention please.”**_  
Takeshi's voice was heavy with command, instantly binding Susan and the two lawyers to his will.  
 _“Susan, you will tell Ethan and Nelly why you betrayed them like this.”_  
There was a flicker of resistance but it crumbled almost instantly, Susan had no mental strength to pit against his crushing willpower.  
“Hmpf, with that pathetic milksop for a husband how else am I to stay satisfied.”  
“If that is how you feel, then why did you marry him in the first place?”  
Takeshi's voice was tainted with his distaste for Susan as he kept pushing her to explain herself.

The second prodding prompted her to go on a rant about how Ethan was _husband material but not boyfriend material_ , in essence she considered him a _meal ticket_ , financial security while she had her fun elsewhere.  
A nice guy, as in non confrontational and unlikely to argue with her about anything, with a very good income who traveled a lot, something she went on about how it was the best thing about him as his absence meant she didn't need to play the dutiful wife and gave her the freedom to keep herself with lovers.  
Some further prodding revealed that just as Takeshi had suspected she usually kept herself with multiple lovers, at least one _sugar-daddy_ type who would take her to expensive restaurants, spa weekends and other short trips to exclusive locations.  
She would also keep her self with at least one _boy-toy_ type, usually more, that served as her go to source for sex.  
It was also revealed that the true reason why she had insisted that Nelly be sent to prestigious boarding schools had nothing to do with wanting her to have a good education, it was merely a way to get her out of the way so she didn't need to take care of a child.  
While Nelly was young it had been easy to hide her lovers, and use being a stay at home mom as an excuse to be able to do pretty much whatever she wanted to, but once Nelly grew old enough to be more aware, and old enough to understand what was going on that changed.  
She ranted on about how having a kid around would have ruined everything, but when she told them that she would have had an abortion if it hadn't been too late once she and Ethan were married things went slightly sideways.  
Takeshi and Hugin both went into full protector mode and it was only Nelly's pain and soft words over the bond that prevented them from killing Susan in a demonic rage.  
 _“Please, she's not worth it. Please I need you, both of you.”_  
The pleading words instantly brought their attention to her and Hugin pulled her into his lap while Takeshi gently soothed both of them, at this stage it didn't matter if Susan or the lawyers saw it, they would have their memories sealed anyway.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Destination Miami_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Ethan, are you ready?”  
“I don't know...”  
It was time for Ethan's change, but he was very nervous about the process.  
“Don't worry Dad, it doesn't actually hurt that bad unless you fight him.”  
Nelly had joined as moral support, and Hugin had joined to keep her company while Takeshi cared for Ethan.  
“I know, I'm just nervous.”  
“It's okay. How about you let me taste your blood first so I can let the power adjust to you?”  
“I guess.”  
“Remember, when I use my vampiric abilities I can't fully suppress the seductive part of it so you will react to it, arousal and attraction from the seduction and pleasure from the bite, possible enough to actually bring you to release.”  
“Seriously, it can make me cum?”  
“Yeah, it can. But I will try to suppress it as much as I can without affecting the pain suppression.”  
“Please do...”  
“Don't worry, I intend to seduce you the good old fashioned way.”  
Takeshi was only half joking though and Ethan's slightly frustrated reaction told him that he was aware of it, but there was also a calm sense of trust, Ethan clearly trusted Takeshi not to push him beyond what he was comfortable with.  
Leaning in Takeshi forewent the usual teasing kiss before sinking his fangs into Ethan's neck and took some blood, it held a hint of spice but not nearly as much as Takeshi was used to which was a good sign that he wasn't affecting Ethan too much.  
 _“Do you want me to give some you time, or can I go ahead and give you the Blessing?”_  
“I'm okay, go ahead.”  
Reaching for the power within Takeshi began to channel it into Ethan and after a few seconds he could feel that Ethan had received as much power as he was able to take, it was significantly less power than the others:  
It told Takeshi that Ethan would almost certainly not be capable of a hybrid form, chances were he might not even be capable of learning multiple forms, he would gain the resilience though, and he would become an eternal.

The change came quickly to the sleeping man in the form of barred feathers and it didn't take long before his form was replaced by that of a peregrine falcon sleeping soundly.  
“Oh, a falcon, that's good, then he can come fly with us.”  
Nelly was happy to find that her father would be able to fly as well without problems.  
“Indeed, it's a good form. But I need to warn you, your father's soul does not possess much power so he will most likely never be able to use a hybrid form or advanced half-form such as having both arms and wings. And he might not be able to learn to use other forms.”  
Nelly nodded slowly, she was disappointed to hear that Ethan would probably not have the same range of abilities as the rest of them.  
“Will he still have the immunity to aging and the resilience?”  
“Yes, the power of the blessing focuses on survival first, then abilities.”  
Nelly's next question was interrupted by a few soft, chirping calls as Ethan woke up and looked around, confusion clear in his aura.  
“Welcome back, how are you feeling?”  
The answering cry was strong and confident making quite clear that he was feeling good and moments later his thoughts carried over the connection shared by all Blessed.  
 _“I feel great, can't seem to speak though.”_  
“Understandable, your peregrine form does not have the vocal cords needed. Ready to try to become human again?”  
 _“Yeah, let's do this.”_

In the end it took Ethan three days to learn how to shift with sufficient control to be able to pass as an ordinary human, though he never seemed to be able to get rid of the nictitating membrane so they agreed he would wear a pair of special glasses to make sure no one would see the membrane should something trigger it.

When they returned to the others Takeshi stepped up to Jackal and offered him the Blessing as well which Jackal accepted without hesitation so the pair quickly left for the Sanctuary and returned two days later.

“Come on Jackal, show us what you got!”  
Sonya and the rest of the unit were swarming Jackal, eager to see what he had become and while they did, Takeshi held back with a somewhat smug grin as Jackal stepped forward and began to shift.  
“Wow! That's amazing!”  
Jackal had also obtained a mythological form, a black and gold Egyptian jackal, the beast form of the very God he had tattooed on his back, the power of the blessing had given Takeshi his very own, very sexy, Anubis.  
“Damn, that's hot!”  
The reactions to Jackal's half-form was rather loud, and in full agreement with each other.  
In his half-form Jackal's body was different, his musculature was extremely well defined, but not bulky, similar to Takeshi's own build, but Jackal was slimmer and he was jackal-headed, just Anubis in mythology.  
His black skin was covered with short, black fur, and he sported golden markings on his face and on the large upright ears, and had a long thin tail, like a greyhound, which also had a few golden markings.  
His legs were slightly digitigrade giving him a height boost and he sported sharp claws on both feet and hands which all together gave him a rather fierce look.

Takeshi drew back slightly and allowed Jackal to get a better feel for the others now that he had the full range of abilities of a Blessed and soon he was joined by Emelie, Dan, Amanda and Ylian, who was acting as a third beta.  
“It's time isn't it? Time for us to move on, to rejoin the world?”  
Amanda was the first to speak up and her question had the others instantly focused on what Takeshi's answer would be.  
“It is. If everything goes according to plans we will leave for Miami before the month is over.”  
 _“The pack will run with its Alpha.”_  
Ylian's words were spoken in a somewhat archaic dialect of the shadeling language, but they had taught Takeshi and Emelie the meaning during the first stay in the Obsidian Halls, and they had in turn taught the rest of the pack.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Destination Miami_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Is everyone ready?”  
Takeshi called out to his pack, his house and friends and was rewarded with a choir of _Yes_.  
“Red, I leave my Hawaii home in the care of you and your unit. And please, take good care of my precious Jackal as well and I trust you will help protect Miri, Arc and the pups if needed.”  
“Of course.”

Sonya and the others would stay at the island along with Miri, Marakell, Arc and the pups as well as Aellai's daughters and their father, Aellai on the other hand would come with them.  
Since they would be living on the Leviathan until their new home was completed it would be a bit hard to house the young elementals, or the water bound merfolk, they did have a mistportal on board though which would make traveling to visit the island fast and easy.  
And Takeshi was now able to shadow travel anywhere on the planet where he had already been, it was draining, but he could do so safely.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Get your lazy bums to the Leviathan!”  
Takeshi combined his words with a flare of power that had everyone shifting and taking off toward the Leviathan, Eriko rode on Jenna's back along with Taka and Belle though.  
Taka was too young to transform into anything other than her human form and fox form and she was unable to form a foxfire cloud dense enough to use to transport herself, while Belle still didn't have the stamina and control needed to sustain flight for longer trips.

“Josh!”  
The twins greeted Joshua in their usual rambunctious way, something that turned the gentle giant into a blushing, stuttering mess now that they were using a more mature forms  
“Girls, be nice to the poor guy.”  
Both quickly apologized before rushing down to their rooms to finish unpacking the last few boxes that had been brought over on the tender while they flew, the rest of their things had been moved earlier in the week using teleportation circles.  
Emelie would come down later to help them grow their plants and complete their little water features to bring the rooms closer to what they were used to.

“Okay everyone, we have a bit of a choice to make here, do we want to take the short route and head through the Panama Canal, or take the scenic route around Cape Horn?”  
Takeshi tossed the question to the others after the midday meal and as expected it triggered a rather lively debate about which option was the better and Takeshi couldn't help but feel a deep sense of pride as they all listed both pros and cons for each option.  
Once they agreed on which they believed to be better option they turned to Dan and Amanda to have them bring their suggestion to their alphas.  
“So, we are in agreement then, the short route it is. Captain, would you plot the course and make arrangements for the Canal passage please?”  
“Of course. Angel, would you like to help me wrangle all the computers we have to deal with?”  
“Of course Captain.”  
“Also we should stop by Honolulu and do some shopping, you will thank me once it's time for the Panama inspections.”

As captain, Paul was present for any decisions that involved the Leviathan and he had put forward his own opinions about what route to pick and he had suggested that going through the canal would be a good idea, if not for any other reason, then to get the Leviathan measured and documented which would make any future passes faster.  
He also suggested that it would be good for Angel to experience the process herself and not just take information from records of other passes and it would also give them a chance to try to get to show off her capabilities and the capabilities of the Leviathan to the canal authorities.  
With some luck they might be able to plant the seed that might one day make it possible for the AI to bring a vessel through on her own.  
Fortunately Paul had done the crossing many times during his career so he knew all the pitfalls and loopholes.

It would still take a while to get to Miami since they had no plans of pushing the Leviathan's engines, and the Panama transit could take over a week with inspections and waiting time as priority was given to commercial vessels.  
They were not in any hurry though, the first stage of the build had just begun, which was to demolish everything on the small island in preparation for bringing in the demonic crew that would create the sublevels.  
The creation of those levels would be the hardest part due to the geology of the Florida peninsula, the low elevation, shallow aquifer, and limestone bedrock made underground construction hard and the best way to work around that would be by using demonic abilities combined with Sanctuary crystals.  
It was vital to take all measures possible to assure the aquifer was not damaged by the construction, at the same time the structure needed to be safe from flooding to make sure hurricane season didn't cause them any problems.

The first part of the trip had been spent in their usual mix of laziness and barely contained chaos and now they were approaching the Panama Canal where they would have to spend a few days waiting to be cleared for transit.  
Angel and Paul had spent quite a bit of time sorting their transit to account for some of the peculiarities of the Leviathan's design, despite being a private vessel they were too large for a hand-line transit.  
Vessels with a LOA greater than 125 feet, or 38,1 meters were required to use the _mules_ , electric locomotives, to handle their lines, both to secure them in position, and to pull them through the locks.

“Okay, put those thick blankets down over there, it will help make sure the inspectors don't drag dirt and grease all over the deck. And those thinner rolls along the inspection route.”  
Paul directed the crew to prepare for the inspectors that would take them through the ad-measure and inspections to get them clearance to traverse the canal.  
“Now, Take and Dan stay here please, the rest of you head up to the private deck, but Hugin and Munin should be ready to act as security escorts if needed. Remember, these inspectors expect to be treated like VIPs and can cause us quite a bit of a hassle if they feel they are not treated with the respect they deserve.”  
“Don't worry, Paul, I have played babysitter to stuck up assholes before, I think I'll be able to handle these guys and Dan can be reasonably polite when he wants to.”  
The teasing quip made Dan flash his fangs at Takeshi before the approach of the launch with the inspectors demanded their attention.  
Takeshi greeted the inspectors and introduced Dan as his head of security and Chris officially held the position of first mate, though Paul rarely insisted on formalities and Angel performed most of the actual duties such as navigation and watch.  
At the pilot house Chris went through the formalities of introducing Paul, and Joshua as well, the latter offering refreshments to the visitors.

With the inspections done they had treated themselves to a bit of a celebration and it was rather late when Takeshi noticed Ethan leaving the common room so he followed him silently and once outside Ethan's cabin he moved up to him and gently pinned him against the wall.  
“You are lonely.”  
Ethan didn't answer him, instead he closed his eyes and dropped his chin, but after a few more seconds he nodded silently.  
“You don't have to be, come, sleep in the den with the rest of us.”  
Again he didn't speak and only shook his head which made Takeshi grab his chin and tilt his head up a bit.  
“Ethan, if you don't stop me, I will kiss you now.”  
Takeshi leaned in slowly and brushed his lips against Ethan's, searching for any hint of rejection but Ethan didn't move, even when he claimed a soft kiss, there was no reaction though, no rejection, no response at all and it made Takeshi break of the kiss.  
He still hovered a hair's breadth away from Ethan's lips and after a few moments he heard a soft gasp and could feel Ethan moving closer, but just as their lips were about to touch again Ethan sucked in a sharp breath, turned his head away and bolted into his cabin.  
Only the Sanctuary crystal reinforcement of the walls prevented the wall from crumbling under the force when Takeshi slammed his hand against it with a frustrated growl, the crystals also prevented the sound of the blow from being heard outside the corridor.

“He almost gave in that time.”  
Nelly's voice startled Takeshi out of his frustration and he spun around to face her just a little too fast to hide his reaction.  
“But he didn't. And I think I may have pushed him too far this time.”  
Nelly gave him an inquisitive look before stepping up and gently pushing him against the wall but this time he didn't allow her to have her way, instead he pushed back and pinned her against the opposite wall and kissed her with burning hunger.

“Take, are you actually falling for my father?”  
Nelly had patiently waited for Takeshi to pull back before gently pushing back again, and this time he allowed her to pin him against the wall.  
“Yeah, I am...”  
She just tutted softly at him before beckoning him to bow down so she could kiss him.  
“Or rather, I did, a long time ago.”  
With a soft whisper he admitted to her something he had been hiding for quite some time, his feelings for Ethan was not something new, it was something he had suppressed, forced himself to bury to keep himself from doing something that could put Ethan in a situation that would reflect poorly on his loyalty to his vows to Susan.  
He hadn't even realized what they truly were until after he realized his feelings for Dan.  
“Don't you think you should tell him?”  
There was a hint of steel in her tone that told him it wasn't really a question.  
“I honestly don't know... I don't want to make him uncomfortable.”  
Nelly gave him a decidedly scolding glare and he sighed in defeat.  
“I know love, I know... But...”  
“No buts, if you don't I will. And I will do so after breakfast tomorrow.”  
“Fine. I promise I will try.”

Takeshi sighed deeply and grumbled about meddling mates-to-be but he reined in his aura and reached out to knock at the door to Ethan's cabin suite.  
He waited for the slight shift in the structure of the crystal that told him the knock and his voice would now carry though.  
“Ethan, may I come in? We need to talk.”  
There was no answer but Takeshi wasn't about to give up just yet.  
“Ethan, I promise I won't touch you in any way unless you ask me to, but please, we need to talk about this.”  
The silence continued for quite a while, then the door lock disengaged, telling Takeshi it was okay to enter.  
Nelly gave him a gentle nudge before turning around and returning to the others as he opened the door and stepped inside Ethan's sitting room.

“Ethan, I'm sorry. I pushed you too far, too soon.”  
Ethan didn't answer him and his aura was forlorn, and very confused.  
“Don't worry, you don't need to talk. Just please, listen.”  
Takeshi sat down across from Ethan and with a soft tone he began to talk, telling him about how he had gradually fallen for him, how he had realized his feelings after his mating with Dan, and he explained to Ethan how he had suppressed those feelings to keep from pressuring him, to keep from making him uncomfortable.  
“I tried to keep this from making you uncomfortable, but I obviously didn't do too well.”  
“I, I don't know what to say...”  
“You don't need to say anything. I only hope I didn't manage to damage our friendship.”  
“You didn't. It's just, I'm confused. I feel drawn to you, but I can't really explain why. I know it's not love though. Sorry.”  
“It's okay. And I think I may have an idea as to why. Susan's betrayal broke your heart so now you are seeking loyalty. And knowing that loyalty and the bond of my word is at the core of my being you allow yourself to be drawn to me.”  
“Perhaps...”  
They spent several hours talking, and when they were done both of them joined the others in the den, though Ethan settled at the edge of the pack, but Takeshi was confident he would gradually come closer.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Destination Miami_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

It was late afternoon when Takeshi and Dan returned to the Leviathan after a trip to Panama City to stock up on a few extra items needed for their passage, for instance they were required to carry bottled water, something they normally didn't stock, for the _Adviser_ who would be traversing the canal with them.  
They were also expected to feed the adviser at least one proper meal and there was always the possibility that there might be a trainee as well, they had foregone hiring line handlers though as they had plenty enough crew themselves.  
“Such bureaucracy, I could easily handle all the lock communications as well as the line handler's work.”  
Angel complained lightly about the necessity of what she referred to as a nanny.  
“We know Angel, maybe they will allow it next time.”  
It had taken a bit of wheedling to get the inspector to clear them for transit, one of the issues had been with their mooring lines, there had been concern about the dimensions of the lines despite being specified as kumosilk, in reality they were made from an even tougher demonsilk blend though.

“Welcome on board, I'm Takeshi, the owner, and this is Captain Paul, first mate Chris and my head of security, Dan.”  
Takeshi greeted the adviser who introduced himself as Eduardo before guiding him to the pilot house to prepare to go through the lockup procedure at Miraflores.  
“There are some irregularities in your inspection papers, I see you will not be employing any line handlers?”  
“That's right, our mooring lines have a somewhat unconventional design so Angel will be handling them.”  
“Angel, I can't see anyone by that name in the crew manifest.”  
“That's because Angel is not a formal member of the crew, she is the AI that runs most of this vessel. Angel, why don't you introduce yourself.”  
After a quick introduction, a few questions and a few demonstrations of Angel's capacity Eduardo agreed with the decision to allow her to handle the lines.

“Angel, how about you send up the drones and get us some nice footage of this little adventure?”  
Takeshi gave Angel a bit a nudge, but as much as it would be fun to have a recording of their first passage the true reason was to properly document her ability to interact with and navigate the locks without the assistance of a crew.  
AI technology was still struggling to gain credibility and showing off her abilities could help speed up the acceptance of allowing AI's to perform more complex tasks.

“Clear the area around the mules please, Angel has good aim but there is always a risk for something unforeseen to occur.”  
Eduardo quickly relayed Paul's request to the crew on land before giving the go ahead for Angel to launch the mooring lines.  
“Launch pressure optimal, launching in 3 seconds.”  
“3”  
“2”  
“1”  
“Lines away.”  
There was a moment of silence as the lines sailed through the air and when they all landed squarely on the specialized bollards there was quite a bit of cheering.  
“Nice shot Angel!”  
There was quite a few calls from the land crew and the crew of the other boats around them and spectators as well, none of them had seen such a feat before, ships would normally use light ropes as guides to pull over the heavy mooring lines.  
“Angel, you have the controls.”  
“Acknowledged, initiating fenders and proceeding to position. Transferring relevant data to secondary navigation screens.”  
The Leviathan had several different fender systems and while in the lock they would use the large horizontal fenders that were integrated into the hull, they were simply inflated when needed.  
The secondary displays flickered to life and showed data on line tension, the Leviathan's position within the lock as well as the position of the smaller boats that were joining them in the lock, normally the data would be put up as full holographic projections, but they had instructed her to hide that ability as long as there were outsiders on board.

“This AI of yours is doing remarkably well. The data on the movements of the third raft behind us was really useful, it could have caused real trouble if they had begun spinning.”  
During the passage through the second lock one of the rafts, a group of smaller boats tied together, had caused a bit of an incident after their line handlers had failed to pick up the slack fast enough, but thanks to Angel constantly monitoring all vessels she had been able to alert the adviser before the raft could begin to spin.

They were currently waiting for the third step to complete so they could get on their way toward the Gatun gates and the Caribbean.  
On the way there they would act as a tugboat to a pair of smaller sailing boats, their small docking thrusters didn't have the power to be able to sustain the 5 knot minimum speed required for the transit between Miraflores and Gatun without the use of their sails.  
It wasn't how it was usually done, but Takeshi and Paul agreed it would be a good opportunity to show off the Leviathan, the two smaller boats would be towed in a manner similar to how a tender would be towed.  
Thanks to the Leviathan's fairly wide beam and the twin davits they could safely pull both vessels, one attached to each davit, a pair of small underwater drones based on the Marlin AUV, though without the armaments and with more powerful engines, attached to each boat would ensure that the two boats would not slip closer to each other while also allowing Angel to control them.

“Come on Take sing something!”  
They had invited their fellow travelers, a family of four and a group of five young men on a bit of a manhood trial, to join them for a meal and a bit of a party which had included some mixed entertainment.  
One of the young men had brought out a guitar and showed off some pretty good skill and now the girls were demanding they cooperate and put on a bit of a show.  
“Okay, fine, easy...”  
Takeshi grabbed one of the tablets and spent a few minutes fiddling around with it before showing it to Stefaan, the guitar player, who quickly nodded that he could play the song and with a quick tap Takeshi sent the information to Angel so she could back them.

_-Hello darkness, my old friend  
-I've come to talk with you again_

It wasn't the original version, but rather a metal cover that Takeshi recalled from his childhood, according to Angel it had been recorded by a band called Disturbed.

“Damn, you have a pretty good voice. Any chance you'd be looking to start or join a band?”  
“Sorry, I have a home to build and a family to take care of. But if you ever come to Miami you're welcome to drop by for an entertaining night.”  
Takeshi had found that he liked the group of young men, they were intelligent, capable and willing to head out into the world and challenge themselves, pit themselves against life to find themselves, something he appreciated.  
The family had been nice enough, though very ordinary, and quite frankly, rather boring and had excused themselves early to return to their boat.  
Experience told Takeshi that they would not fit well with him and his, the young men on the other hand were curious and more than willing to engage them all, and he believed that given a chance they could become good friends.  
They might even be suitable for the Blessing.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Destination Miami_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The passage down the Gatun locks was uneventful and they soon found themselves with another choice to make, head north straight for Cuba, and then on to Miami, or head east along the coast of Colombia and Venezuela and then cruise along the Antilles island chains and onto the islands of the Bahamas.  
In the end their fellow travelers influenced their decision, they were going to take their _Zukunftstraum_ , a sailing catamaran with an 11 meter LOA, up along the island chains and they had quickly come to an agreement that it could be a fun experience to travel alongside them in their somewhat oddly named boat.

“Bartel, what would be the correct translation to use for Zukunftstraum?”  
Bartel turned around and looked at Maria with a slightly hesitant look before leaning in closer to look at her eyes.  
“Maria, right?”  
“Mhm.”  
“Well the correct translation would be Pipe Dream.”  
“Really? That's the only one I didn't consider.”  
Zukunftstraum could be translated in a few ways, the most common translation was _Pipe Dream_ , but other translations included _Utopia_ and _Dream of the Future_.  
“Why would you name your boat Pipe Dream?”  
“Because that's all we thought she would ever be.”  
He dove into explaining to everyone why they had named their boat the way they had.  
All five of them had a love for betting and gambling and would often sit around dreaming of what they would do if they hit the _big one_ , but none of them expected they actually would, so when they hit a huge jackpot and went for it they named the boat Zukunftstraum, or Pipe Dream.

“So you're out living the dream?”  
Amber took over the questions when Maria didn't ask any more questions.  
“More like escaping the nightmare.”  
“Oh?”  
“When we won that money we suddenly had relatives crawling out of the woodwork, and everyone was our best friend, including people who couldn't even get our first names right.”  
“Ouch, even I know all your names. Bartholomeus.”  
Amber's teasing tone made Bartel groan.  
“Damn, you actually remembered that? Please tell me you didn't just remember my name...”  
“Don't worry Bartel, I have a very good memory.”  
She quickly pointed to each of them in turn and called out their names.  
“Stefaan. Jacobus, or just Cobus. Ferdinand, aka Ferdi. And finally Koenraad, or Koen.”  
“That's pretty impressive, we only told you once, and you even pronounced it right.”  
Amber was beaming with pride at the reaction she got, and Takeshi echoed a similar pride to her over the bond, she had proven to be a natural linguistic talent.

At the moment though Takeshi's attention was focused on Cobus, carefully sifting through scents and gently probing his aura as he was picking up on signs that the young man might be receptive to an invitation to share a bed for a while.  
When Cobus excused himself with a mumble about visiting the head Takeshi slipped out after him.  
“Cobus, a moment of your time please?”  
Takeshi noted how his aura instantly shifted through a range of emotions, surprise, curiosity, anticipation, hope and a hint of fear.  
“What's up?”  
Takeshi slowly walked closer without answering which made Cobus squirm slightly with nervous energy.  
“You don't really need to visit the head, do you?”  
Moving slowly Takeshi pinned Cobus against the wall, carefully looking out for any hint of rejection or discomfort, but all he could sense was a nervous mix of anticipation and hesitation, it would seem Cobus was questioning his intentions, questioning if he was serious.  
“Cobus, I want to kiss you, will you reject me?”  
The way Cobus sucked in a sharp breath and widening of his eyes told Takeshi everything he needed to know, but he wasn't quite done yet, he would make sure Cobus understood what was going on.  
“A warning though. All I'm after is sex, nothing more. And knowing I have multiple partners, will you still accept?”  
When Cobus nodded Takeshi leaned in and claimed a teasing kiss that quickly turned hungry and Takeshi felt a flicker of amused acceptance over his bonds telling him that the others knew what he was up to.  
“Your friends, do they know of your attraction to males? Or would you like to keep them in the dark?”  
“They know.”  
“Good, I would hate to have to wait.”  
With another kiss he began nudging Cobus toward the stairs that would take them to a flight of unused cabins where they could get some privacy and once inside he made quick work of their clothes.  
“I hope you don't mind taking a more submissive role, I have some dominance issues.”  
“Not at all, I'm a switch and I'm usually the bottom with bigger guys.”

Takeshi found Cobus' open confidence in his preferences to be refreshing, as much as he loved Dan and Hugin both of them could be a bit insecure, damaged by cultural prejudice and bigotry and it was refreshing to be with someone who had managed to stay undamaged.

“Well well, look who finally got laid!”  
Takeshi and Cobus were met by teasing calls when they returned to the others and they both gave as good as they got.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Destination Miami_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Take! Look! It's Miami!”  
Alice was eagerly calling him from the bow and when he joined her and shifted his eyes to focus better on long distance he quickly spotted the Miami skyline rising over the horizon.  
“Indeed it is.”  
Leaning in he rewarded her with a few trailing kisses along the neck and it didn't take long for the heady spice of arousal to rise, but such activities would have to wait until they had anchored at their destination.  
“Angel, would you alert the Pipe Dream that we are getting close please.  
There was still no sign of any coastguard vessels and Takeshi was hoping they wouldn't show up and want to do an inspection, but chances were they would not be as lucky as the Leviathan was sailing under the new Hawaiian flag and their companions were sailing under the Dutch flag.  
The Leviathan was considered a diplomatic vehicle though so they could refuse to allow it, but Takeshi intended to permit a limited search, it would look good for relations.

As suspected Angel announced the approach of coastguard vessels shortly after Miami came into sight and soon after that she announced that they were being hailed with a boarding request.  
Takeshi welcomed the boarding crew along with Dan and the Leviathan crew.  
“Our passengers will remain in their quarters for the duration of the inspection and I remind you that the Leviathan is a diplomatic vehicle under the Hawaii independence treaty.”  
There was a bit of a debate and the boarding crew called a superior before agreeing that it would be acceptable for everyone to stay in their quarters and they would inspect them one at a time for compliance with safety regulations.  
“Do you have any weapons on board?”  
“Yes, this is a list of all weapons with relevant permit information. You will find all relevant information there such as crew and passenger manifest along with a list of the animals on board and the registration, an RFID scanner can be provided if needed.”  
Takeshi handed the lead inspector a flex-page with the requested information, Angel was well vested in their procedure and had quickly prepared everything needed while also assisting the Zukunftstraum with preparations.  
“Excellent. Shall we begin the inspection then?”  
It was not usually permitted, but due to the Leviathan's diplomatic status Takeshi, Dan and Paul would accompany the inspection team.  
They would allow as much as possible of the inspection though, only restricting access to some of the more unique aspects like the Sanctuary crystal tech.  
“Hypoxic fire-prevention in the engine-room and long term cargo areas, clean extinguishing agent sprinkler systems in all areas as well as hand held extinguishers. Life jackets and evacuation rafts for triple the vessels capacity, impressive.”  
The inspection had gone smoothly and it was quite obvious that the inspectors were satisfied with their findings, and Takeshi was grateful that they had settled for only inspecting a few of the cabins.  
“I believe we are done here, you clearly run a taut ship.”  
The only remark they had received was the fact that the trash bins were not properly labeled, but no action had been required as the Leviathan fully processed all waste on board.  
“Let's get moving, shall we?”  
The cheering was quite loud as Angel resumed their approach to Miami.

As they got closer they garnered quite a bit of attention, first from other boats spotting them, then bystanders on land, especially when they approached the bridges they would have to pass to get to Biscayne Bay.  
Fortunately they bridges had been redesigned since last time he spent any significant time in Miami so the Leviathan could now pass them quite comfortably, but they did draw a massive crowd.  
Standing at the bow watching as they approached the Broad Causeway bridge caused quite a mix of emotions and he could feel the familiar sensation that told him destiny was at play.  
By the time North Bay Village became fully visible everyone had joined him to see their new home, not that it was much to see in its current state, all that could be seen was a road with a large empty lot on each side, mooring buoys and a small dock for the launch.  
The only buildings was currently a pair of large hangar structures that acted as garages for the various vehicles that had been shipped over land while they cruised the Leviathan.  
The empty lots were surrounded by extra high construction hoarding, leaving just enough room for the garage structure and an access road, the ground was also covered by large tarps to keep the soil in place while there was no vegetation to prevent erosion.

“Welcome to Miami.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This concludes the first part of the Eternal Universe, but it will continue in the second series, Children of the Shamarai.


End file.
